


Suburb Subterfuge

by quicksilver_quill



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Detective AU, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Undercover operation au, no betas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:21:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 75,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28897296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quicksilver_quill/pseuds/quicksilver_quill
Summary: When Ivan Braginski, the Alpha owner of a big tech corporation, gets some blackmail material against the California Police Department, it's in the hands of two detectives, Arthur and Francis, to get the information from the inside. Hopefully they can set aside their differences to do so.
Relationships: England/France (Hetalia), South Italy/Spain (Hetalia)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 39





	1. The Case

Arthur hated getting up early. He could feel the headache thrumming behind his eyes already. "If there was any justice in this world, waking up at 6.30 am would be made illegal." He grunted. The beep of his alarm clock bounced around his room like a demented pin-ball until he was forced to turn over and shut it off. If he lived on the other side of the building, he might have been woken by the sun, but as it was he was facing west and only woke up to the view of an alleyway and the wall of the apartment block opposite. This meant he both woke up and came home to a dark apartment. Not that he minded all that much, since he spent most of his time at work. 

With a groan he dragged himself out of the blankets and pillows filling up his bed, the only comfortable place in his home. "It'll all be worth it when you get Sergeant." He told himself as he grabbed the glass of half-empty water from his nightstand and took the pill next to it that he'd put there the night before. He'd only forgotten to take his suppressants once when he was very first put on the prescription, and he'd learned his lesson very quickly after that. He put the glass down on the placemat and glanced up at the whiskey that he drank every night to help him sleep. It was cheap and it burned, but it did the trick.

When that was done with he went to the bathroom, looked in the mirror and splashed his face with water before sliding up his window and bringing in the two bowls that were on the ledge. As he did so, a little pigeon flew over onto the ledge and bumped her head against Arthur's hand affectionately.

"Good morning to you too, Mint." When he'd first moved into the apartment there was nothing there. No furniture, fixtures, appliances, or anything. Except a pigeon that had somehow gotten in and was laying in the corner looking as tired as Arthur had been after the move. He tried to shoo her but she was too tired and Arthur felt pity for the small creature. In a strange way he felt as if they were similar- alone, tired, cold, and almost universally hated. He didn't want to call pest control because they would just kill her, and he didn't want his first day to start with death. So he rummaged around in his pocket for something to feed her so she could get the energy to fly away on her own and found a lone mint that he gave to her. After that he opened the window and she flew off with it. Every now and again she came back, as if to say thanks. 

When he'd put the bowls back out, refilled with water from the tap and seeds from his medicine cabinet, he shut the window again and got back to his daily routine. He hated how weak helping that pigeon made him feel but he couldn't just let it starve. That's something his sire would have done and he swore he'd never be like his parents. Besides, it was completely innocent and helpless, while people were not. People were manipulative, idiotic liars. 

After his morning shower, he meticulously combed his hair and plucked his eyebrows to shape, then applied cologne. It wasn't expensive, but it worked. Any hint of scent that the suppressants failed to repress were covered by it, and that's all that mattered.

When he was dressed in his uniform, dry-cleaned and ironed to perfection, he made himself a travel cup of tea and headed out to work, ready to exceed expectations no matter the cost. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Francis had been up since 6.30 am and had been having a wonderful morning. The sun drenched their apartment in gold and the fresh roses from the balcony he'd put in place reminded him of waking up in Paris. His dam always put fresh flowers on the breakfast table when he was a child, right up to the very day he died. In the mornings, with this set-up, Francis honoured him and knew he'd be proud of the man he'd become. He didn't spend every morning like this, of course. That would be dark. But, every now and again his mind let itself indulge in the comfortable nostalgia. That was until there was the unmistakeable sound of glass smashing behind him.

"Accident!" Gilbert proclaimed ever so eloquently, rubbing eyes and pottering about with about as much grace as an elephant on ice. 

"I'll get it, don't worry." Francis assured him, smiling. 

"You're the best." Gilbert said as he walked over to the kitchen and poured out some of the coffee Francis made made every morning. He almost missed the cup, but he got it in there eventually, along with two spoonfuls of sugar. The German Alpha relied more than he'd care to admit on the combined caffeine and sugar rush to wake him up. 

Antonio, on the other hand, required absolutely no caffeine at all, and came running in holding the morning newspaper and not looking where he was going. Consequently, he stood on a shard of glass caused by the smashed beer bottle Gilbert had just broken. 

He immediately yelled out and hopped to the couch, putting his foot on the coffee table. Francis got up to help him since it took Gilbert a minute to even look up and register the shout Antonio had made. When Francis inspected it he just rolled his eyes and pulled it out. 

"Toni, this is the smallest shard of glass I've ever seen. There's dust particles bigger than this."

"You'd be a terrible nurse." The Spanish Alpha complained.

"You're a terrible patient" Francis said back, laughing as he put the shard in a bag that he then went and brushed the rest of the glass into before putting in the trash. "Why were you running anyway?"

"Oh!" Antonio held up the paper and gestured for Gilbert to join them, who did so silently and slowly, not trusting that he wouldn't knock over any of the few valuables they had left after living together for so long. When Francis sat down in the armchair opposite their couch where the other two were sat, Antonio showed them an article on the fifth page, titled: Successful Drugs Bust in Brooklyn, where Antonio was listed as one of the arresting officers. 

"Congratulations, Toni!" Gilbert said, with warmth.

"Yes, you've earned it, ami." Francis added while softly pushing Antonio's leg back to the ground where it belonged. 

"I'm framing it." The Spanish Alpha announced and the other two just rolled their eyes and gave each other an amused look. Every time any of them got any sort of recognition Antonio would print or cut it out and put it in a frame to hang up on their wall of fame in their living room. 

"Well, with that little performance over I'm going to get dressed." Gilbert said, having drank his coffee and started to feel the effects of it.

Francis nodded. "You should put on the light blue shirt. It brings out your eyes." 

Gilbert batted his eyelashes at him. "You really think so?" 

Francis just shook his head and gestured for Gilbert to hurry up, which the German Alpha did with a newly found energy.

In about 20 minutes all three Alphas were ready to go, and left for work with an energised gait. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Good _God_ I'm so bored." Gilbert complained as he tilted his chair on it's back legs precariously at his desk. 

"If only they'd put table tennis in the break room like we asked, production would be up 500%." Antonio piped in from where he sat opposite, head banging on his own desk. They'd made the arrest from their most recent case hours ago, within minutes of starting the chase for the thief now in holding. Francis just huffed a laugh from where he was spinning in his own chair across from them, having the same problem with the paperwork of the arrest he'd made with Magnus that morning. The four of them all switched partners all the time to match their strength for cases, but all four were terrible at finishing their paperwork.

"Why does the cruel mistress of Justice burdens us so?" Francis lamented.

"It only takes half an hour if you don't fuck around." An angry Italian voice told them, belonging to Lovino Vargas, the admin for their floor. 

"If you did just a few pages for me I'd give you my life." Antonio promised, while Francis and Gilbert made groans and threw balled up paper at him for flirting with the small omega _again_. Gilbert's hit dead on, but Francis' missed completely and hit Gilbert instead, his aim impaired by the spinning.

"For a trade to work, the person you're asking actually wants what you have to offer." Loving replied, at which Antonio pretended he'd been shot. 

"You wound me."

"I wish."

"Gentlemen, please. May I remind you this is a workplace, not a speed dating service." Came the stable and decidedly uncaring voice of Sergeant Edelstein, said with the underlying and clear threat of _I will make you all attend a harassment seminar_. Sometimes (all the time) he wondered how he ended up swimming in this stagnant pool of morons. 

"Lower your expectations, Sergeant, Lord knows the rest of the precinct has." That voice was owned by none other than Arthur, the only Omega detective in the precinct. He made the remark as he lead another perp into the holding cell.

"Well we can't all be up management's ass, there's be no room." Gilbert says back, hoping to get a rise out of Arthur and end this entertainment drought.

The English Omega simply locked the cell and walked over to Gilbert, all calm as a sea before a storm. His cologne immediately assaulted Gilbert's senses and made him scrunch up his nose, but he'd learned that was a sensitive subject with the Omega the hard way, so kept it to himself. Arthur could feel eyes on him, everyone waiting for him to strike like a snake - fast and efficient. "My arrest record speaks for itself." That was the fourth arrest he'd made today, compared to the two made by Gilbert and Antonio. "Unlike _some_ people in this precinct I don't have my brother to rely on to cover for me when I underperform."

 _"Some_ people in this precinct don't feel like they have something to prove." Instead of letting his annoyance show at that, Arthur simply raised an eyebrow and turned towards his desk, kicking Gilbert's chair _accidentally_ on his way and making the Alpha squeal as the chair fell back onto all four legs.

Arthur could smell the spike of fear that came from the Alpha and smirked. "Try not to go unsupervised for too long, Beilschmidt. You might hurt yourself." Lovino snorted from his space behind the desk. Both loved seeing an Alpha put in their place.

"Having a bad day?" Francis asked, amused, as Arthur sat opposite him with the file he had to start for his latest arrest. 

"Not until you all started talking to me." The Omega responded, not looking up from his work.

"Bitterness isn't a good look on you, Arthur." Antonio piped in.

"Especially combined with that terribly unflattering tie." Francis added, shaking his head. Arthur never wore any traditional Omega clothing. No light colours, or fitted pieces that would accentuate the slight curve to his body.

"It's a good job I'm not attending New York fashion week then, isn't it? I'm sure you and your disgustingly tight suit would be centre stage." He said back, still not looking up as he continued to write.

"I'm flattered you noticed." The French Alpha returned, smirking in a way that made Arthur want to punch him. He was about to comment on the Omega's new haircut, trimmed very short and combed to the side like a photo at the front of an Alpha barber shop rather than an Omega salon. Alas, he was stopped by the almighty authority before he got the chance to tease his adversary.

"Stop it, Bonnefoy." Edelstein warned, which annoyed Arthur even more. _He could look after himself._

"Antonio started it!" Francis said, pointing at his Spanish friend. 

"I did no such thing!" Antonio said back. 

"I don't care who started it. I'm finishing it. _Now._ " The Sergeant asserted, making the two Alphas just laugh. 

It was at that moment that the door to the Captain's office opened and Ludwig Beilschmidt walked out. "Something funny?" 

Every one of the Alphas went silent at that, and Arthur rolled his eyes at his paperwork. So much for being strong and brave. 

"Excellent." The Captain continued. "Bonnefoy, Kirkland. I need you in my office, right now."

All three of the Alphas wore immediate concern, though Arthur's expression stayed blank, as the two called on made their way to the office looking like children about to be scolded. It was most likely to give them a case to work together, rather than to reprimand them, bu there were never any verbal or physical cues from Ludwig that gave anyone any idea what they were in for when they entered his office. It seemed a little odd to be assigning a case near the end of the work day though, so both detectives were unsure of how to feel.

Once they were inside the Captain made them sit on the couch provided, which Arthur was thankful for. He hated standing next to the other members of the precinct because he was the shortest one of them all except Lovino, which he held a little pride over. It never helped that Francis was the second tallest next to the Captain, either.

"Gentlemen, I won't waste time with this. I've been informed of a case of high importance that if engaged with, will bolster the funding for this precinct tenfold. Obviously, before we start I need verbal assurance that everything discussed stays in this room." He paused and both of them nodded and said a quick affirmation. "Good. I'll begin by stating that you are under no obligation to commit yourselves to this case but any leaked information will result in severe punishment."

Arthur could see Francis's leg bouncing in excitement that he was being forced to hold in from the corner of his eye. He reminded Arthur of a dog being forced to balance a treat on his nose. He wondered what _he_ looked like right now, resolutely still but inwardly celebrating at this opportunity. 

"With that out of the way we'll begin." Ludwig turned his laptop to face them, on which was a photograph of a muscular man with very light, short hair and an intimidating look about him. "Ivan Braginski, owner and CEO of Braginski Technology, has been found to be in possession of some very sensitive information that has been leaked by the California Police Department." So far, neither of the detectives could see what a blackmail case on the other side of the county had to do with them. "This information, if given to the public, could have a very negative effect on the reputation of that department." Ludwig lets that sink in for a moment. "They have attempted to handle the situation independently but it is apparent that Braginski has more connections in the police force than first anticipated, so they have reached out to the NYPD for assistance, which brings us here. There are plans for an undercover operation to take place in California, and after exemplary performance in the past few years I've chosen you two as the primary candidates. It is unclear how long this operation will last, but it'll be at least two months, and it will take you completely away from everything you know while you are in it. There can be no contact to or mention of the lives you lead here. This would require commitment and hard work, perhaps harder than anything you've ever done before, but I trust you can do it. That being said, there is no pressure for either of you to take this case, though this would be a highly regarded achievement." Ludwig can't help but glance at Arthur there, and though the Omega resents it, he knows there is more on the line for him here than Francis. "I'll leave you for a moment to discuss, but there must be a decision by the end of the day." With that the Captain left the office with a stack of papers and left the two alone. 

"We have to do it." Arthur demanded. Plenty of the detectives they know have taken part in covert operations, and have always come back safe and held in higher regard. There was no downside. Francis turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" 

Arthur held back his annoyed eye-roll. "Do you have any reason why not?"

"Non-"

"Well then it's decided. Good." Arthur asserted. 

Francis was taken aback by that. " _You_ may not have a life here, but _I_ do. It seems a little ridiculous to agree an un-defined amount of time committed to this, no?"

Arthur stood up, and turned to Francis. "It can't be much of a life, sharing an apartment with the same two docile idiots you work alongside."

Francis just smiled at him from the couch, in that laid back but very aware way he had, like the subject of a renaissance portrait. "This matters greatly to you."

 _You know it does._ Arthur thought. _But no matter how important it is, I will not beg._ "Imagine how this would look on your record." Bargaining. "You could move into your own space with the money that would come out of it."

"Who said anything about wanting to move?" Francis replied, crossing his arms. He seemed to get more comfortable as Arthur got more riled up. "Why would I do this for you, when you take such pleasure in proving how much better you are than me?"

Arthur took a deep breath and counted to five in his head. "This would benefit both of us. For starters-"

"Ask nicely." Francis interrupted, looking straight into Arthur's eyes with a soft intensity that had the Omega clenching his jaw. He hated being stared at, much more by this infuriating man. 

"Excuse me?"

Francis uncrossed his arms and sat back comfortably. "Say _please_."

"I will not-"

"Just like this, watch." The Frenchman looked him in the eyes, smiled and said, "Francis, please accompany me on this case."

Arthur huffed and then crossed his arms in frustration. "What will you really be missing out on by taking this opportunity? Are you that co-dependant? That _stupid_?"

Francis just sighed and got up, flattened the wrinkles from his shirt and headed towards the door.

"Wait." Arthur said quietly as Francis' hand held the handle. _At least he's not facing me with those fucking soul-piercing eyes_. "Please." It was so quiet it was almost a whisper.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Francis turned around and smiled, then walked over to Arthur. "Only kidding, Cher. You can unclench now." _How crude,_ Arthur thought with disgust, and was about to say so when Ludwig walked back in.

"Have you come to a decision?"

"We'll take the case." Francis answered before Arthur, just to annoy the other man.

"Right. In that case, please take these." He handed a file to each of them with their names on. "You will have the rest of the day once you leave this room to read them. The sooner we send you both, the better. The longer we wait, the less time we have to retrieve the information from Ivan and risk it going to the public. At 7:30 am tomorrow morning, you will be picked up from the Hotel listed in your files as you will be staying there tonight." Before any protests were made, the Captain added, "we can't risk either of you bringing anything sentimental with you. Kirkland, there is a form to fill out in there that you can hand in to your driver tomorrow which details if you would like anything at your apartment to be taken care of. Bonnefoy, as you have a shared apartment, the responsibility will fall to your housemates. Both of your bills and rent will be paid for while you are away, and you will be provided with as much funds as you need. There is also a form to sign stating you are aware of the risk you are undertaking that will also be handed to your driver. Is all of this understood?" The two nodded, so Ludwig went on, "there is one last thing I need to mention before you leave. There is only myself and the both of you that are aware of this operation, as it was handed to me very discretely and involves very sensitive information. As far as anyone here knows you are going into witness protection, and I trust that you will not share the truth of the matter with anyone. Even those you personally trust." 

Both of the detectives answered with a "yes, Sir."

"Good. You are dismissed. Please go to the hotel as soon as possible and read over the information you have been given. Good luck gentlemen."

After that they both left the room, Arthur heading straight to his desk to pick up his coat, and Francis going over to Antonio and Gilbert.

"Damn, what happened in there? You look serious. I don't like it." Gilbert said when his blonde friend walked over to him. Antonio hummed in agreement. 

Francis used a low voice as he said, "Me and Arthur are being put into witness protection." He made sure to keep his tone as solemn as possible.

"What?" Antonio whispered back in the loudest whisper Francis had ever heard. "For how long?"

"I don't know. A while, I guess."

"It's not gonna be the same around here with you gone." Gilbert complained. "The apartment will be like a wasteland." That much Francis could agree with. People say Alphas have progressed and evolved since their animalistic days, but anyone who saw Gilbert's room would be forced to disagree. _Vehemently_. He could imagine the filth leaking out into the apartment now, taking over inch by inch, a sea of noodle boxes, beer bottles and clothes. _Maybe the time away wouldn't be so bad after all_.

Antonio then lowered his voice to an actual whisper as they all huddled in. "Are you going to have to be with Kirkland, too? He'll throw you under the bus if it comes to it." 

"He's been on the warpath for a Sergeant position since he set foot in this place and he'll go through you to get it. Omega or not, he can be a mean, vindictive little asshole."

"He can be ruthless," Francis agreed, "but wouldn't you be, in his place?"

The other two took a minute to deliberate between themselves then shrugged. "Not really." Gilbert said. Antonio nodded his agreement.

"Well, regardless, I'm with him for the next... however long. Maybe I'll get to see his softer side." He joked, knowing Arthur didn't have anything remotely resembling a _softer side_. 

"When do you leave?" Antonio asked, changing the subject to more important matters. 

"Well, I'm actually supposed to be heading off right now to practise my cover story and then I'm getting shipped off to lord knows where in the morning."

"So this is it?" Gilbert asked, talking now instead of whispering. 

"I'm afraid so, mon ami."

"We didn't even get to do a going-away party." Antonio pouted.

"It will make the return that much more interesting!" Francis insisted. He held out both of his arms to his friends and drew them into a three person hug, which they returned briefly. "I must be saying au revoir now." 

"We'll miss you." Gilbert said.

"And will eagerly await your return!" Antonio added.

"As will I!" Francis assured them, before turning around to face Arthur, who, to his surprise, simply wasn't there.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why did you leave- what are you doing?" Francis asked when he entered the hotel room to find Arthur pacing up and down in front of a set of twin beds, his fists clenched. He wished he hadn't said a word when that fiery, intense gaze turned on him. 

"Do you think I'm a fucking joke, Francis?" Arthur said with words that were slow and dripping with malice.

Francis dropped his bag to beside the bed that didn't have Arthur's bag on it, all the while being tracked by those stunningly green eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." Francis said. "I don't think-"

"You're telling me you knew nothing?" Arthur asked again. The look of pure confusion on Francis' face must have passed whatever scan Arthur was making of him because his shoulders relaxed a little. "Have you opened your file?"

"No. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing what was inside."

"Open it." 

Francis rolled his eyes. "If we're to do this, you have to learn to be a least a little civil." _At least two months of being patronised. I knew that headache this morning was a bad omen._ Arthur thought. 

"Just open the file." Arthur returned and kept his gaze firmly on Francis' until the latter gave in and sat on the bed, reaching into his bag to get the file. When he opened and tipped out the envelope he understood exactly why Arthur was looking so stressed. In the middle of the pile of paper there was a key to the new place they'd be living in, and a small golden ring. A wedding ring. 

"Non." Francis said quietly. "That can't be what's happening." Arthur stayed silent but began pacing again. "You're going to give yourself an aneurism if you don't calm down."

Arthur stilled and turned towards the French Alpha, speaking in an accusatory tone. "Are you calling me irrational?" Arthur grinned as the other man shifted with discomfort. 

"That's not what I meant." Francis said, annoyed that Arthur would accuse him of being sexist. Besides, Arthur was the least emotional Omega he'd ever met, and most definitely the least moral. He arrested anybody for the most mundane things to up his arrest record and put himself on a pedestal in management's eyes. There was no favouritism when it came to Arthur, and he doubted that would ever change. If anything, he was harder on other Omega's, to make up for the kindness and pity most Alpha officers treated them with. It didn't exactly make him popular in the precinct when he pushed crying Omega's to answer questions in interrogations instead of giving them a break to collect themselves, wether they were innocent or not. He'd seen how ruthless Arthur could be, and how impulsively reckless when he got really angry, but they don't talk about that case. Ever.

"Why is it that _you're_ so calm, exactly?"

Francis shrugged, putting the ring and key on his bedside table and starting to look through his file. "There's nothing we can do about it now, is there?"

"Not exactly."

"Then why worry about it? Sit down, relax, order a tea from room service. You're the one who wanted this so desperately." 

Arthur wondered if Francis had ever had a stressful moment in his entire life. Seemingly not. "So that's it, then? You're just fine with this?"

Francis sighed, lying back on the bed and not looking away from his file. "Yes."

"The thought of pretending to be my mate doesn't make you even a little apprehensive?"

"Arthur, I already see you every day. Now I'll simply see you every night too. It won't last forever. Besides, I manage being around my _two idiot friends_ all the time don't I? I'm sure I can handle it."

Arthur made a noise of apprehension as he sat on his bed and picked up his own file, staring down at the words. "Of course you'd be fine with it. You're not the fucking _house-dam_." 

Francis sighed and held the bridge of his nose, then looked at Arthur. "That's an outdated term." Arthur rolled his eyes. It didn't matter if the term was outdated, it was still an expectation in many Alphas' eyes. "And, you won't just be tending to the house, you'll be making connections and attending work events alongside me, amongst other things." He looked back then to where he was listed as the new head of security for Ivan's building. "If it makes you feel any better, my new uniform is hideous."

Arthur snorted from where he sat. "Of course that would be your main concern." He could be standing in the dead centre of a burning house, and Francis would be first and foremost concerned about the soot stains on his shirt.

Their cover stories were only a few pages, and they read through them fairly quickly. Their stories were straight forward and easy to remember: Francis was a security guard that used to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the highest security clearance, and Arthur was a University Professor's Assistant who had met him on a trip there. They both decided to leave their jobs and settle down after mating and so moved to a California suburb where Francis got a job working at Braginski Technology to provide for his mate. It was disgustingly stereotypical, but for that exact reason it was also extremely believable. 

"We're really doing this." Arthur said, the reality of it sinking in. He actively didn't give any outward emotional response. The longer he was on suppressants, the harder it was for him to handle intense emotional outbursts, but he promised himself he'd persevere and so he did just that.

"It appears we are." Francis confirmed, then picked up a menu from the drawer in the inside table. "Care for a bottle of red? It's on the precinct."

Arthur put his own file down and shrugged. "I don't see why not." _Might as well have_ _one last moment of normalcy before everything inevitably goes tits up._

Francis ordered a bottle of the most expensive red wine they had and two glasses, which arrived not five minutes after they'd been ordered. When it arrived, Francis poured the two glasses out and handed one to Arthur who seemed repulsed by the smell but sipped at it anyway. 

"You don't like the wine?" Francis asked.

"It's not the nicest thing I've had in my mouth." Arthur shrugged and Francis smirked.

"Is that so? Please, elaborate."

Arthur let out a chuckle. "Absolutely not. Not to you, anyway. We're colleagues."

"We could be friends." Francis suggested easily, sipping the wine that, he had to admit, was fairly awful.

"Hah! Can you imagine? The notion is laughable." 

"It would make this whole process a whole lot easier." Francis said, which was true. It would be difficult to feign a relationship between the two of them if they didn't at least try to get along, but it was necessary. To get away with the stable backstory, Ludwig needed an Omega, and Arthur was the only one he had. Not only that, but Arthur would never refuse a chance to climb up his career ladder. Adding to that, Francis was the best Alpha detective he had, and also the one who hated Arthur the least. He hates to admit it, but Arthur would rather have Francis by his side that any of the other Alphas in their precinct, but that doesn't mean they're _friends_ or even that Arthur likes the other man. He is simply the best of a bad bunch.

"When pigs fly." He said, then tipped back the rest of the wine in his glass.

Francis shrugged and drank the rest of his wine too, not wanting the Omega to be ahead of him, then re-filled their glasses. "Mon dieu, it's barely evening, you're a bad influence on me Monsieur Bonnefoy."

Arthur grimaced. "Don't ever call me that again." But there was no malice in his words. "Funny thing is, I never wanted to nor imagined I'd be married, but then here comes the universe, bending me over and fucking the choice out of me." He takes another sip of his wine as he lays back on his bed, looking at the ceiling. 

"I want to be married, some day." Francis admits, sitting up in his bed with his back to the wall. "I want to propose even more. I've dreamt of it since I was a child. The wedding planning always goes to the Omega, we're taught, but the proposal is all up to the Alpha. Of course, it's not like that all the time anymore, but that's what I was taught, so that's what I planned." He took a sip of his wine before continuing. "I'm going to do it at night. The sky will be clear and full of stars, and the ground will be glistening with the light of the moon as she hangs over the sky. _La Vie en Rose_ will play in the distance-"

"Please, Lord, end my suffering." Arthur pleads to the air. 

"You don't have to be so rude." Francis pouts and takes comfort in more wine.

"I'm not rude, I'm realistic." He turns to look at Francis with a disapproving gaze. "How is it, exactly, you plan on the clear night going according to your plan? Or will you just wait until the opportunity presents itself? And the ground doesn't fucking _glisten_ in moonlight. It just reflects, crooked. What you're saying is a fabrication, like you ever-glorious love."

Francis felt his inner romantic trudging back into his cave, never wanting to be seen again. His Sire had the same attitude, and he could hear him in Arthur's words. An Alpha isn't supposed to look for love, they were supposed to look for a mate to carry on their bloodline. _Don't think for one second that I'll allow you to ruin my lineage for such a childish thing as love, it's fictional, and so are your chances of finding it._ He knew that wasn't true though, because his Dam loved him unconditionally. 

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked with, if Francis was hearing right, concern.

"Never better." He replied bitterly.

Arthur sat up and faced him. "Francis, I didn't mean to hurt you I just-"

"Don't believe in love. Yes, I'm perfectly aware." He sighed after he said it. It wasn't Arthur's fault he was upset, really. "Shall we order some food?" He asked, trying to steer them away from the topic. Arthur seemed grateful for that, and nodded.

Once they had chosen their meals, Francis with a lasagne and Arthur a cheese sandwich, they waited in silence for it to arrive. Francis could see Arthur getting visibly uncomfortable with the silence, drinking the last of wine very quickly, and tried his best not to obey the Alpha instinct in him to go and comfort. He'd just get pushed away if he tried anyway. "Do you want to watch the television?" He asked, breaking the tension, and the instinct in him calmed when he heard Arthur let out a relieved breath. 

"Yes." Arthur almost slipped up and said _please_ after that, but held himself back. He knew he'd offended Francis, but didn't know how to rectify it. At least the tv would distract them and they could forget about it. 

He got up and put it on when the food arrived, brought by an Omega. Arthur hadn't paid much mind to whoever it was last time, because Francis had just gone to the door and brought wine back, but this time they had to come inside to place the food down. The Omega was a man with medium length, wavy brunette hair and brown eyes. Brown eyes that glued to Francis like he was a man in the desert and Francis was water. Arthur couldn't blame him for that though. Francis was an incredibly attractive man, with perfect wavy golden hair and bright baby-blue eyes. His features were undeniably handsome, and his expressions were soft. He had laughter lines when he smiled, like he was doing flirtatiously with the waiter right now. His physique was also nice to look at. Not overly muscular but fit from his job, and tall. 

"Shall I leave it here?" The waiter asked Francis, carrying their tray. He glanced at Arthur too, as Francis answered.

"That would be fine, merci." The accent that Francis carried seemed to make Francis more attractive to the waiter as he blushed and Arthur could smell a faint alluring scent coming off of him, almost passively, as if he hadn't realised he was doing it. Francis must have smelled it too, but he made no indication of it. 

"Is there anything else you want, Sir?" The employee asked with a coy tone, almost pretending Arthur wasn't there.

 _Who the hell does this Omega think he is?_ Arthur cleared his throat. "That'll be all thank you." He then shoved $10 into the young man's hand and ushered him out of the room. When the door was shut he turned and walked towards an amused Francis. "What?"

"You seem a little red in the face, Cher." 

"Get over yourself." Arthur said, taking his food to his bed and sitting cross-legged, facing the tv and not Francis. "I just didn't fancy watching some moron drool all over my food." In fact, he _was_ a little red in the face. Not because he was jealous of the other Omega, but because of the assumption that he _couldn't_ be with Francis. He knew that he wasn't the most pleasant of people, but he prided himself on how he looked. This man didn't even know him, so he didn't eliminate him as mate-material on a personal level but on his physical appearance. As much as he tried to suppress it, that hurt him. Francis must have been able to sense that hurt, because he didn't tease Arthur, just sat on his bed and ate his food while they both watched tv. They sat in silence for a while after that.

Soon it got dark outside and Francis checked his watch to find it was 9pm. It's around this time he usually goes to bed and leaves his flatmates to drink the last of the night up without him, so he can wake up and have his daily dose of serenity in the early morning. He got up and rubbed his eyes then went to the bathroom to follow his nightly routine. He realised afterwards that he had no nightclothes. He walked back into the room and was about to ask Arthur what he wanted to do about the clothes situation, but then heard a little whine. Concerned, he looked over to Arthur's bed to find him completely out. He'd fallen asleep on top of the covers in his uniform, curled around one of his pillows. Francis wondered when he'd fallen asleep. It could have been any point in the last two hours, he hadn't dared look at Arthur in case he hurt his feelings again and left it up to Arthur to decide when to break the ice. _Well,_ Francis thinks, _at least he wasn't not speaking because he hates me._ With that thought, he gently tugged off Arthur's shoes and put them on the floor, then got another blanket from the closet and put it on him, so he didn't wake up cold in the middle of the night. 

He then took off his work clothes until he was down to his briefs and got into his own bed, clearing his head in order to get a good night's sleep before moving day.

_\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"He was wearing his lying face." Antonio said to Gilbert as they sat at the bar after work. 

"I thought that too, but why would he lie to us?" Gilbert asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he's in big trouble and actually suspended."

"With Kirkland?" Gilbert snorted. "The man's never had a hair out of place, never mind broken a rule."

"I'm telling you, Gil, something's up."

"You're just being paranoid." Gilbert said in a tone that was half joking, half concern. He knew that Antonio was like a dog with a bone when it came to things like this. 

"Don't you remember the last case they were on together? Maybe he didn't tell us the whole story."

"Toni, don't. You know he wouldn't lie about something like that." Gilbert said, firmly. Antonio kept his mouth shut for the rest of the break but couldn't get the notion of finding out just what the fuck was going on out of his mind. He'd find out, if it was the last thing he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first ever ABO fic please be gentle with it


	2. Moving Day

When Francis woke up to the sound of a police siren blaring past the hotel's window he sighed. He remembered a time in his life when he wasn't completely surrounded by the busy and inescapable noise of living in a city. The neighbourhood he and his friends lived in wasn't too bad, especially as they weren't surrounded by neighbours, being one of two apartments on their floor, but central New York was a noise pollution nightmare. It was like trying to sleep through the biblical plague of locusts. 

He got up and stretched, then looked over to Arthur who was, inexplicably, still asleep. His breathing was even and quiet, for the most part, but he tended twitched every now and again and let out a soft sound. Francis wasn't sure what he was dreaming about, or if it was bad or good, but he decided to leave the Omega for a little longer. He must have been exhausted to not wake up from that siren. Besides, it meant he could have a shower and get dressed before Arthur woke up, meaning he could forego the experience of Arthur seeing his body and ridiculing it in some way.

With that thought, he went to the bathroom and followed his morning routine. His favourite part was the hot shower. It was the only place he ever got true, intimate time to himself. Not that he didn't love having his best friends around, because he did, wouldn't trade them for the world in fact, but this was always _his_ time. The sound of the water hitting the walls smothered the sounds of the city, and the steam fogged up the whole room and it's realities. Here, and now, he could be anywhere, any time. When he stepped under the cascading water, the droplets blanketed him with warmth and he shivered. He visualised his stress and worries washing away under the stream and felt his muscles relax. His eyes closed for a minute while he let his whole body be caressed by the heat. Then he lathered some strawberry-scented soap between his hands and rubbed it slowly over his body, starting at his waxed chest. He knew that most Alphas kept their body hair as a mark of pride but Francis preferred the almost sinful feeling of soft, bare skin. Especially now, as he rubbed the soap into his pectorals and moved down to his lightly defined abs. He never did muscular work-outs like Gilbert, but he still did a lot of heavy-lifting at his job, and he and Antonio always had to carry parcels up to their top-floor apartment, not trusting Gilbert to not drop them. He'd also carried the Alphas home from the bar plenty of times when they couldn't walk themselves. From his abs he moved back up to his shoulders and arms, being very careful to wash his whole body, then down to his torso. He opened his eyes then, and looked down. 

It had been a while since he slept in the same room as an Omega, and he had worried that it would have had an effect on him, but it didn't. Arthur didn't give off any type of scent at all, which was highly unusual but still happened in rare cases, only that god-awful cologne he wore. _Hopefully,_ Francis thought, _he won't bring any with him._ The Alpha could live with no scent from his colleague but he doesn't think he could survive the scent that Arthur _voluntarily_ wore that Francis can only describe as strong chemicals. It gave him a headache sometimes, if Arthur wore too much. With that thought, he decided to just finish cleaning himself and get out of the shower before Arthur woke up and started complaining. It pained him to use the cheap shampoo and conditioner provided, but he was grateful there was at least something. 

When he finally shut the water off and stepped out of the shower he quickly dried himself off and put the clothes on that had been provided in the bag he'd been given. They were instructed to put those clothes on and leave their own clothes in the bag in the car before catching their flight. He hated the feeling of the dry clothes on his damp skin, but he had to deal with it. They'd provided him with boxers, suit pants, a white shirt, a black blazer (with a wallet in the pocket containing a credit card and ID in his name), casual leather shoes and a watch with a classy, thick leather strap. It was basic and had no style, but he just had to suck it up. He dried his hair off with the dryer provided and styled it as best he could with a small, plastic comb and his hands. All in all, he looked like a standard, middle-class Alpha.

He walked back out into the room after doing his best with his hair to find Arthur sitting up on his bed, rubbing his eyes and looking half-dead. His hair was messed up and looked soft and wavy, oppose to the 50's blue-collar Alpha style he usually wore it in.

"Good Morning, Arthur. How are you feeling?"

Arthur simply blinked a few times, dazed, then looked at Francis all foggy-eyed. "What?"

The Alpha raised an eyebrow. At work, Arthur operated like well-oiled machine, but right now he looked more like a run-down toaster. Francis had just assumed strict clear-headedness was Arthur's natural state, but looking at him he knew that couldn't be true. "Are you alright?" He asked again.

"Alright?" Arthur looked confused, as if Francis was presenting him with a riddle. "I'm fine." He decided, rolling his neck where it must have been stiff. He then instinctively reached for his water on the bedside table to find it wasn't there, and was, again, rather confused by that. "What's happening?" His eyes were still not fully open, and he felt as if his head was filled with static.

"What are you looking for?"

Arthur considered this, and the reality of where he was and who he was with seemed to finally hit him with the answer. "Nothing." He said, forcing himself to push his legs off the bed and stand up. When he did that, he raised his arms and stretched his body as high as he could, letting out an involuntary noise of pleasure as his spine corrected itself and his blood flow reached his limbs. He didn't even notice he'd made the sound, but Francis did. It shocked the Alpha to see Arthur so loose in the morning. He wondered at what point he shoved the stick up his ass and started the day. "What are you staring at?" He asked Francis, who sighed in response. _There we go._

"Nothing." Francis insisted, then sat down on his bed. "The shower's free." 

"Well I should hope so." Arthur replied. "Wouldn't want our married life to start with you smuggling another person in to our shower."

Francis huffed a laugh. "I would never." He said as Arthur walked past him into the bathroom with his bag of clothes. 

When the Omega got inside, he immediately felt his cheeks heat up. Not just because of the steam, but because the whole room was filled with Francis' scent. He worked around a precinct full of Alpha's all day, true, but they had the windows open most of the time, and it was big room with strong airflow. But this was different. There wasn't a single window in here, and the air was sticky. He was essentially being hot-boxed. Arthur removed his clothes, carefully taking his pill tin from his blazer pocket, containing one emergency pill he kept on him at all times. He looked at himself in the mirror as he filled a glass with water, then took the pill with it. His hair was stuck to his forehead, and his nose and cheeks were bright red. His eyes were red from just waking up and his skin was shiny from the condensation. He couldn't help but wonder if this is what those Alpha's who'd helped him through his heats all that time ago had seen. Of course, he'd gained a little muscle since then, but not much. 

When he pulled his eyes away from the mirror he was faintly disgusted with himself for thinking back to those times he'd given in to his weakness. He needed to get in the shower and wash off his shame. The air was heavy with the scent of Francis as he turned on the water- like fresh flowers, and clean linen, but with the unmistakable musty scent of Alpha underneath, of oak and a forest just after rainfall. Arthur had never actively scented Francis before, and he wasn't really doing that now, was rather being smothered by it involuntarily, but he couldn't say it was unpleasant. 

_Stop it_. Arthur reprimanded himself. _This is Francis we're talking about. Do not give in to your body, ever._ With that, he quickly washed himself in the same soap and shampoo Francis had used, quickly and efficiently as he always did, dried himself as best he could, and opened the bag of clothes he'd been provided.

"What the _fuck_?" He whispered to himself. 

He pulled out a soft pink button-up that had lighter pink flowers embroidered into it, with long sleeves and put it over his still mostly-wet body. He didn't have time to wait for his skin to dry all the way, because he didn't get up until 7, and the car was picking them up at 7:30, and after the shower he guessed he had around 10 minutes left. He was thankful for the second bottle of wine shared with dinner because it made him tired and let him sleep, but he didn't know how he was going to get away with drinking every night for the same reason without Francis thinking he was an alcoholic. After the shirt he pulled out a pair of tight, black pants that didn't come with a belt and clung to his legs in a way that showed off his bottom half in a way he definitely wasn't used to. He then pulled out and put on some black brogue-style shoes with a little block heel, a thin, grey scarf (to cover the area that the shirt simply didn't button) and a long, grey cardigan to go over the top with a wallet in the pocket containing his new credit card and ID. To accessories he was given a simple, thin strapped watch. He'd never looked so approachable in his entire life. 

When he walked out of the bathroom and Francis saw him he held up a hand. "Not a word."

Francis just grinned. "You look... modern."

"I _will_ hurt you, baby pink shirt be damned." Arthur warned. 

"What will you do? Strangle me to death with your 100% ethically-sourced cotton scarf?"

Arthur couldn't help but laugh at that as he walked over to his bedside table and picked up his ring and slid it on to his finger. It felt foreign and heavy, and he wasn't sure he could ever get used to it. 

"Aren't you going to do your hair?" Francis asked, gesturing to Arthur's mop.

Arthur huffed and went to the bathroom to get the comb, gliding his wet hair into place, though without it being blowdried in that direction it went limp, and usually a few waves tended to make themselves known throughout the natural drying process, but it would add to the soft Omega look, he thought, and so left it at that and walked back out. "It'll have to do." He said, waving his hand around his head.

Francis looked at him with a strange expression, then stood up and walked to him, taking his right hand. "The ring is on the wrong finger." He said.

"What? No, it isn't." Arthur replied defensively. 

Francis held up his own left hand. "I'm certain it is, Cher." Then he took the ring from Arthur's right hand and placed it on the ring finger of his left hand. Arthur felt his face heat up again involuntarily at the gentle action. "Don't be embarrassed, Arthur, it's a simple mistake to make."

Arthur snatched his hands away and put the key from the table in his pocket, then put his file in his bag and beckoned Francis to do the same. "We'll have to fill out and sign the forms in the car. It's 7:30 now, so he'll be waiting for us."

Francis rolled his eyes at the way Arthur refused to accept even the smallest bit of help. "Of course." He said, and picked up his bags to follow Arthur out their room, down the stairs, and into the lobby to check out. After that they went to the street where their car was waiting.

A short, kind-looking Alpha held open the doors for them as they got in the back, Arthur nodding to him out of social obligation and Francis thanking him out of kindness. The backs of the chairs in front of them had a tray attached that folded down, which they both utilised to fill out the forms using the pens provided in their bags. 

Francis' was fairly straight forward. He simply signed his name on the form accepting responsibility and put it in the envelope he got and was done with it. Arthur, however, seemed to be struggling. He'd signed his first form and put it in the provided envelope as fast as Francis had but he was having trouble with the other one, the one that asked him if he wanted anything in his apartment taking care of. He simply stared at it with loathing, the way a rich man stares at taxes. "If you look at it much more intensely it might set on fire." Francis said, trying to lighten the mood. Arthur ignored him and cupped his hand around the paper as he wrote, blocking Francis' view as if he were attempting to steal his answer in a test. 

Arthur couldn't risk letting him see it, though. Imagine the ridicule he'd face for feeding the homeless pigeon that visited him every other day. He wasn't sure wether or not he should even write it, because there was a big risk that whoever they sent to his apartment would spread rumours that he'd gone soft and his entire authority would be undermined. But he couldn't just not say anything at all. She'd think he abandoned her, and she wouldn't understand because she was just an animal. A free one, at that. At least if someone fed her she'd know that _someone_ cared. Not that she needed it, she got food elsewhere all the time. Sometimes she'd come to sit on the ledge with a pizza crust, or half a bagel, or whatever else she found unclaimed in the streets. With a small sigh at his own weakness he wrote down where Francis couldn't see: _Re-fill bird seed and water bowls on bathroom window ledge twice a week._ There, that would do. It didn't make him look sentimental because plenty of people fed birds, so there'd be no reason for any rumours to circulate about him being weak. He quickly folded the form up after signing off at the end and put it in the envelope alongside the other one. Francis saw how nervous it made him, and decided not to bring it up, lest he be berated. 

The city was energetic and colourful as it flew past the car windows. Arthur leaned his head against the soft wall of the car as he looked out, too tired without his tea to even hold his own head up. He yawned unconsciously every few seconds for the first 5 minutes of the journey until the movement and the sounds of blaring car-horns finally woke him up completely. Francis was wide-awake by this point and wasn't even really looking at what was out the window because he was too engulfed in anticipation. 

They arrived at the airport at 8am. After taking out their passports and plane tickets, they handed their documents over to the driver. Arthur then simply got out of the car and walked into the airport after giving the driver a quick "thanks," while Francis gave the man a tip with his thank-you and had to do a little jog to catch up to Arthur. 

"This should be easy, since we don't have any actual luggage." Francis said with a smile, his hands in his pockets as the familiar nerves of airports started to weasel into the back of his mind.

"Hopefully." Arthur replied. "That's where we need to be." He pointed to a queue on the far left and then walked off speedily towards it, Francis keeping stride and trusting that Arthur knew what he was doing. 

It was only a small queue and they ended up at the front very quickly. "Boarding passes and passports, please." The Omega woman behind the desk said politely. Arthur handed his over and expected Francis to do the same but when it didn't happen immediately he looked to the other detective to find he was simply stood there holding the boarding pass and his passport in front of him with a glazed look over his face. Arthur took the documents off of him slowly and passed them over after his.

"He's a little slow in the mornings." Arthur said to the woman with a smile and they both chuckled.

"I'm the same," she said, "I don't know what I'd do without my morning coffee." They both laughed and the sound shook Francis out of his reverie, and he smiled at them both. "Any luggage?" She asked Arthur, not wanting to startle Francis.

"None at all. Just the two of us." He kept his polite smile on while he spoke and she nodded, typing away into her computer. 

"Going anywhere special?" She asked, as she scanned their passports.

"Yes, actually. We're moving to our new home." Arthur said with ease, and Francis wanted to add on to the conversation but felt he'd already made himself look a little awkward and it would only be worse to say anything at this point. _Great start, Bonnefoy,_ he thought. It wasn't his fault though, airports and planes always made him nervous. 

"How wonderful." She said, then passed them back along with their boarding passes. "You're at gate seven."

"Perfect, thank you." Arthur said, then grabbed Francis' arm and pulled him away into the main airport to walk towards gate seven. In a low voice he asked Francis, "Where did you go just now?"

Francis cleared his throat. "I apologise. I forgot how nervous I get around these places."

"Will you able to fly?"

"Of course."

Arthur looked skeptical. "You have to tell me if you can't. I can't have a hysterical-"

"I can. Drop it." Francis said resolutely and in his Alpha tone, that made Arthur stop in his tracks for a second involuntarily. Then he just let go of Francis and took a small breath.

"It's half an hour until we need to be at the gate." He said, checking his watch. "Meet me there in twenty." 

"Arthur-"

"It's fine." The Omega said. _Choose your battles wisely, Arthur._ He was clearly upset by Francis using his biology against him, even though he was desperately trying to hide it. Francis hadn't meant to it was just automatic, and he already felt bad about it. He didn't want to worsen Arthur's mood by dragging it out and bringing his emotions into broad daylight.

"Alright. I'll meet you there."

Arthur nodded and took a turn left as Francis continued on to the gate, knowing that there was nothing here he wanted to see. Why anyone would want to meander around this giant chasm of potential catastrophe alluded him completely. He just wanted to get on the plane already and get it over with. The Alpha walked until he was at gate seven and found a comfortable space to sit in the rows of seats, arm around the chair next to him to save a seat for Arthur although he knew the Omega was unlikely to come back and wait with him for any longer than he absolutely had to. He sat and wallowed for around ten minutes, and the shame must have shown on his face, because an Omega sitting opposite asked him, "is everything alright?" 

The Omega was short, with curly blonde hair, and was heavily pregnant. He was sat next to another man, his Alpha, only slightly taller but still short, with a buzzcut and a friendly face. He had nothing to lose with these people, so he might as well practise conversing in order to make up for the embarrassment at the check-in desk. "I think I upset my mate."

"Oh dear." The Omega said.

"What happened?" The Alpha asked and the Omega gave him a look.

"Don't pry!" Then he turned back to Francis. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

"No, it's perfectly alright." He chuckled, then took a breath. "I snapped at him. It was an accident of course, because I'm always uneasy in airports. I didn't mean it. But I hurt him, I can tell." He said the last part with regret, and two pairs of sympathetic eyes looked back at him, even if he felt his words and emotions were coming across a little stiff. 

"Being mates is hard." The Alpha assured him. "Things get stressful sometimes, but I'm sure you'll patch things up. It doesn't sound so bad."

"He's right, you know." The blonde Omega agreed, holding his mate's hand. There were no wedding rings, but that was becoming more common nowadays. It was a lot more accepted and practiced to mate without getting married than a few years ago. "I'm sure he'll forgive you. Every relationship has ups and downs." 

"Thank you." He said, earnestly.

"So, how did you two meet?" 

Francis put on a fond smile, as if he were thinking back to it. "We were both working at the time actually. I worked at the Met as head of security and I was on duty when Arthur walked in, leading a group of students around some exhibits. He was an assistant at a university, you see. He walked over to me to apologise for all the teenagers running around and trying to touch everything and I said he could make up for it by letting me get him a drink." He adopts a fond expression. "The best thing I ever did was ask him for that drink, and he reminds me of that every day."

"That's so sweet!" The Omega said. "What's your favourite thing about him?" He asked, looking at Francis with a face of awe while he told their phoney love-story.

"It's hard to choose, but I'd have to say his smile. From the moment I saw it I knew I had to see it every day for the rest of my life." He sighed, and then startled as a hand dropped on his shoulder.

"Sorry if he's irritating you." Arthur said to the couple, then walked around to the seat Francis had saved for him and sat there holding a bag that he handed to the Alpha, much to Francis' surprise. "I got you a plane pillow so you can relax." As much as he'd been irritated by Francis' use of Alpha demand, he knew the look of fear when he saw it, and knew it nothing to do with him, but rather Francis. In this case then, he figured, the best way to avoid unnecessary conflict was to try to calm Francis down. If he was honest with himself, he liked having the power.

"He wasn't irritating us at all," the Omega said. "He was just telling us how much he loves your smile! What's _your_ favourite thing about _him_?" 

_A bit forward,_ Arthur thought, but then he supposed Francis had done it first so it seemed the most inconspicuous option to add on. He didn't want to blow their cover straight away. "Uh..." He looked at Francis and tried to focus on a feature but he was too on the spot to think of something nice to say. That kind of thing never came to him naturally. Trying to say something nice for him was like a fish trying to walk. "He has nice... Eyelashes."

"Eyelashes?" The Omega repeated, obviously thinking it an odd choice. 

Well, he'd made his bed, now it was time to lay in it. "Yes. Eyelashes." He paused, scrambling for words. "Like a Camel."

"A Camel?" Francis asked, clearly offended.

"Yes. They have long lashes." Arthur explained, moving his hands over his eyes as if Francis had forgotten what lashes were. "To protect their eyes from sand in the desert. It's very clever, really." He continued, matter of factly. 

Francis gave him a look to say _you're sticking with that then?_ and Arthur raised his eyebrow back, daring him to challenge it. Thankfully, he didn't have to explain any more because their numbers were announced to come up and be boarded. They both bid farewell to the couple and wished them luck, and the couple wished them the same.

"Just dripping with charisma aren't you?" Arthur asked.

"Well one of us has to!" Francis insisted. "Camel eyes! Honestly..."

"I panicked, alright? I didn't know how much you'd told them." He said back, defensive.

Francis just chuckled as they got to the front and Arthur gave the flight attendant their tickets. He turned to look at Francis to make sure he wasn't pitching a fit as they walked through the tunnel to the plane and could see a slight tremble in his hands, so he begrudgingly took one of them in his own. "You'll be okay." He assured, as they got to the door. Just before they stepped on though Francis suddenly stood still as a board and almost made Arthur fall with the strength he was putting into standing resolutely still. In that moment he was more unmoving tree than man. "Francis?" Arthur could smell the fear radiating from his partner then, and put a hand on Francis' cheek, making him face him. "Hey, look at me." He demanded. "Nothing's going to go wrong." Francis didn't say anything just looked into Arthur's eyes like he was a deer and Arthur was holding a shotgun. Arthur tried to remember the training he'd been given for traumatised pups. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Francis?" The Alpha nodded shakily. "Okay, good. Squeeze my hand." Francis' expression switched for a second to confused but he followed the instruction. "Close your eyes, and take a deep breath." Anybody might have walked past and seen him freaking out, there could have been a herd of monkeys clambering past him and he wouldn't have noticed. He did as Arthur said. With the plane out of sight and his senses of touch and sound belonging solely to Arthur, he started to breath normally, though his heart was still racing. He felt Arthur's thumbs stroking over his knuckles gently. "You're safe. I wouldn't be going on this plane with you if I didn't believe that with every fibre of my being. You're going to be okay." Francis listened and kept doing deep breaths until his heart rate evened out. When he finally opened his eyes he saw a genuine feeling of worry and sympathy in Arthur's eyes, something he never thought possible. But he shook that off easily in a split second and resumed his unfeeling expression. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." He said, and squeezed Arthur's hand as the other moved to board the plane.

"I'm not letting go, don't worry." Arthur assured with a small squeeze back.

Francis nodded and followed the other very warily onto the plane, stopping at their seats when Arthur did. "Do you prefer the window or the isle?" He asked. 

Francis looked at the seats and then out of the window and started to feel the panic itching at him again. Arthur must have sensed that, because he snapped his finger's in front of Francis' eyes. "Hey. I'm going to sit at the window and you can sit in the isle, okay?" Francis nodded, then Arthur sat down, closed the window, and motioned for Francis to join him. When he'd sat down Arthur took out his pillow from the bag he'd been holding and gave it to him, which Francis accepted wordlessly. He was so embarrassed. Everyone on the plane was probably thinking about how weak and afraid he was. He felt himself losing his grip on a life-raft of feigned nonchalance and flailing helplessly in a sea of humiliation. This wasn't how an Alpha was supposed to act. How could he ever hope to be a decent mate, even to pretend to be, when he couldn't even board a fucking plane. And now Arthur had seen him vulnerable and pathetic. Only Gilbert and Antonio had seem him like that, and only twice. Once when they went skydiving and Francis had to back out once they were two feet in the air, and the other when they got a plane to Vegas and he took Xanax to compensate for the anxiety and was passed out the whole way. Arthur was going to always think less of him now, that was it. _There's no going back now, you pathetic oaf._

"You look like you're going to burst a blood vessel." Arthur commented, cutting harshly through his thoughts. He took Francis' hand and put in on the shared arm-rest so he would have an anchor to hold onto. Arthur knew all too well what it was like being afraid with nothing and no-one, and no matter how much the Alpha irritated him, he didn't think he deserved that. "We won't ever talk about it again, agreed?" Arthur put forth in a professional, authoritative voice.

Francis was still reeling in mortification but accepted with a nod. "How human of you." Arthur just gave him an unimpressed look before opening a magazine from the pouch on the chair in front. He knew they were both capable of simply not talking about traumatising things from past experience, but there was no point thinking about that now and adding to the already crushing stress. He wished his best friends were here, they always helped him to ground him, and he them, but instead of wishing for something he couldn't have, he tried to completely clear his mind, especially when the plane started moving. He started the beginnings of hyperventilation again and started counting back from 100 in his head to focus on something else. The Omega wasn't looking at him, too proud. He rested his head back into the pillow and closed his eyes, until the world faded out.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm not doing that, Toni." Gilbert asserted, looking at his friend with a stern expression.

"Oh, come on, it's not like you haven't lied to him before!" Antonio pleaded.

Gilbert huffed back at him. "Yeah when we kids and I told our sire _it was Ludwig that broke it, not me!_ That's completely different! He wasn't a Captain of a precinct then! I'm pretty sure I'd be committing a crime."

"Okay firstly," Antonio replied, "you've been a detective for four years, you should _definitely_ know it that's a crime. Secondly, this might be a matter of life and death." He threw his arms in the air to emphasise his point.

"What exactly do you want me to say, then? ' _Hey, Ludwig, Francis told me everything so you might as well fill in the gaps.'_?"

"Exactly!" Antonio said, crossing his arms.

"No! Not exactly!" Gilbert argued. "What if he was telling the truth and we get nothing? I'll be booked for lying because lord knows he doesn't understand brotherly love, and if he _was_ lying, then I'll get him in trouble for going against whatever orders he's been given. It's a no-win situation, Toni. We're just going to have to trust him."

"It's not him I don't trust." Antonio admitted, just as they got to their floor and the elevator doors opened. 

"You should really cut him some slack, Toni. He's just doing his job like the rest of us." The German Alpha tilted his head as if to say _well, actually_. "Maybe he's a bit competitive, but like Francis said, he's in a completely different situation to us." He sat at his desk and Antonio sat opposite, clearly not convinced.

"Why do you keep defending him? You know exactly what he's capable of."

Gilbert gave Antonio a serious expression, then. "Look, Toni, I know you're worried, but you have to stop thinking about it. As much as Kirkland can be a dick, he's not cold-blooded so stop it."

Antonio just sighed and tapped his pen against his desk until Gilbert launched an elastic band at him. "Think about it, Gil." The Spanish Alpha said, unperturbed by the band that had hit his chest and fell to god knows where. "If he were in witness protection, _we_ should be too."

"How do you figure that?" Gilbert asked, preparing to launch a band at Magnus who was looking far too comfortable at the desk behind him.

"We _live together_?" Antonio gave Gilbert an incredulous look but dropped the expression when he saw that the German Alpha's concentration was on Magnus as he aimed an elastic band at the back of his head. "How you've survived this far is honestly beyond me." His point was magnified when the band reached it's mark and Gilbert turned around faster than the speed of light as the Danish Alpha spun his chair to face his attacker, coming into direct eye-contact with Antonio. "Well, it wasn't me!" 

"What wasn't you?" Magnus asked, interrogation voice on.

"Uh-"

"If you know what happened then you saw it happen. Who was it?" He asked, brown eyes burning into Antonio. Gilbert gave the answer away before Antonio had the chance though, with a poorly covered snort.

"Toni, you should see your face." The German laughed. "Sorry, Densen, wrong place wrong time."

Magnus simply rolled his eyes and huffed a laugh as he spun his chair back to his desk. "You're on thin ice, Belischmidt. Sleep with one eye open."

Gilbert laughed good-naturedly at the threat, then looked back to Antonio. "What?"

"Did you listen to a word I said?"

"Of course. Well, actually, no."

The Spaniard rolled his eyes. "Gil, I'm being serious. If you're not going to lie, at least ask why we weren't put into witness protection with him!"

Gilbert sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll ask him at our weekly dinner tomorrow night." Antonio begrudging agreed to the terms of waiting so long , and Gilbert just smiled at his friend. He was like a new puppy with separation anxiety. It would be cute if it wasn't so irritating. Maybe it would do him some good to have someone else to attach his clingy nature to. "If..." Antonio moved to protest but Gilbert just quickly filled in the gap so he didn't get the chance. He spoke in a low voice to no-one around them could hear. "If you ask Vargas to dinner tomorrow. It'll give you something to do while I'm gone."

"That's not fair-"

"Of course it is. Do it for me. You know I don't like leaving you on your own all night." That much was true. Antonio grew up in a very small, tight-knit village and had people around him constantly when he was younger. He hated being alone, and usually him and Francis would have a movie night when Gilbert went to his brother's house. 

"I'm fine on my own!" Gilbert just frowned and gave him the most terrifying puppy eyes he'd ever seen. "Fine, I'll do it for you."

"You're an angel."

"Shut up." He said, and got up, taking a deep breath before walking to Lovino's desk. 

The Omega saw him approach and expected him to ask for something but the detective just stood there, looking awkwardly down at the paperwork on Lovino's desk. "I'm not doing your work for you, Carrierdo."

"No, no that's not-" The Alpha rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture then glanced at Gilbert who gave him a smile and thumbs up. When he looked back to Lovino, he didn't look impressed. "I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner with me, tomorrow?"

Lovino thought about it for a second, watching Antonio shift around uncomfortably at the possibility of rejection. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Get out of my sight before I change my mind." Lovino said, and found joy in the action of Antonio following his orders.

"What did he say?" Gilbert asked, knowing the answer from the smile on his friend's face. 

"We're going to dinner tomorrow!" He confirmed as he sat back in his chair. "Now you have to do your part and find out what the hell is going on with Francis."

"I'll do it, I promise." Gilbert said and his friend nodded, knowing he could trust his word. Now he just had to wait until tomorrow night to get his answers.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Get up." Arthur said, nudging Francis in the side. "We're here. You survived." 

Francis blinked a few times before comprehending what Arthur was saying then practically jumped up to rush from the plane, leaving Arthur behind. When he got to the big, open airport he felt like he could finally breath. 

"Shall we be on our way then?" Arthur asked, annoyed, as he walked past Francis towards the exit. The Alpha adopted a longer stride to keep up with the fast pace Arthur had implemented. They stayed silent up until they were outside, Arthur taking care of their checking-out with swift perfectionism. 

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"No need. Never talking about it again, remember?" Arthur said as they went to the car rental and Arthur got them a car in his name with his card. 

"If we're going to act like a traditional couple, you're going to have let me take control sometimes." Francis said, aware that Arthur was attempting already to lord over everything.

"Oh?" Arthur said, stopping in his tracks and giving the Alpha an _oh, really_ look. "Please, Sir, what is it you want of me?"

Francis made a frustrated sound. Nobody seemed to rile him up like Arthur did. "Why did you even agree to this if you weren't willing to co-operate?" Arthur said nothing. "Give me the keys, I'm driving." He said.

"Fine." Arthur relented, giving him the keys and getting into the passenger side.

Francis got into the drivers seat and adjusted before starting the car, typing their address into the navigation system, and driving away. "I've always had a thing with flying."

Arthur sighed, looking out the car window at the lush green fields and pretty scenery that contrasted so heavily to what he was used to seeing. "You don't have to justify yourself. Everybody has irrational fears." 

"I'm not _justifying_ it," Francis insisted. "Im just explaining."

"Alright." Arthur accepted, although he knew the reason the other man was being so touchy wasn't because he was traumatised from flying. He could tell the French Alpha was angry at himself. It was instinctual to have self-hatred when showing weakness in an Alpha, and Arthur wasn't the type of Omega to coddle an Alpha's wounded pride, but he'd rather not have this hanging over their heads for the duration of their case. "I don't think any less of you."

"I didn't say-"

"I know you didn't." Arthur replied, cutting him off. "I just want you know that my opinion of you hasn't changed. You can't help it, after all." 

Francis accepted that with a silent nod, his self-hatred dissipating. He knew he shouldn't care what Arthur thought of him, but he did. He cared what everyone thought. They were silent for the next 20 minutes and when they were only 10 minutes away he realised they had to put on a happy face to meet any neighbours wandering around. "I wonder what the house is like." He said, trying to lighten the mood.

Arthur shrugged. "From the photographs it looked nice." Arthur secretly hoped the bedroom had a bed much nicer than the one in the hotel. He could still feel the backache from the hard mattress and thin pillows. He might as well have slept on a concrete plinth. "Hopefully it's not too hard to keep clean."

Francis laughed a little at that. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I hope we have a nice garden."

"Why's that?"

"I love the apartment I share in New York," Francis said honestly, "but there's no life to it. There's no grass, or garden, or even a park nearby. It would be nice to have one, I think."

"I do too, actually." Arthur agreed. "Only garden I've ever known was the one at my boarding school, but then that wasn't really _my_ garden. Not that this will truly be either, but it's a nice idea"

"What's your favourite flower?" Francis asked, and Arthur rolled his eyes but answered the question anyway.

"Roses. I know it's the most obvious choice, but they're popular for a reason. I particularly like white roses. Despite the fact that they grow in dirt they still come out charming."

"I wouldn't have expected you to favour the flower of _amour_ , Cher."

"Behave. What's your favourite then?"

"The classic red rose, of course. I'm afraid I am just as predictable as you. They were my Dam's favourite flower."

"How do you know they're yours?"

"Excuse me?" Francis asked, not understanding. 

"Well," Arthur continued, "if the only reason you like them is because they were someone you like's favourite flower, then it's not them you like at all, really, but the person."

Francis considered that for a moment then made a small noise of consideration. "That's rather articulate."

"What flower do you like because of itself?"

Francis thought about it, and then answered. "Lavender. I used to run through the lavender fields when I was a pup in the countryside, simply because I liked the smell and the colour." He even got a lavender coat from his Dam on his birthday one year, but his Sire said he wasn't allowed to wear it. _He already has long hair and acts weak like an Omega, what kind of message will this give? Throw it away._ He never saw that Lavender coat again.

"We could plant lavender." Arthur said, dragging Francis from his thoughts into the present. "It's an invasive species though so we'd have to be careful."

Francis smiled. He'd never considered that his favourite flower wasn't the red rose. "I'm sure we can make it work."

As he said that he pulled the car into the street that they were assigned to, full of almost identical suburban houses with white-picket fences surrounding neatly-trimmed front lawns. He then pulled into the driveway of their new home- a detached, two storey house painted in an off-white colour. It looked absolutely stunning, truth be told. Imagining living there made Arthur almost understand how people could be attracted to the suburban lifestyle. 

"Ready? Francis asked. Arthur nodded his response and they both got out of the car, Francis locking it. 

"It's big." Arthur commented. 

Francis laughed. "Well spotted, amour. How about we have a look inside?" He offered his hand to Arthur and the Englishman almost forgot what they were here for and why Francis was doing that before he quickly snapped out of it took Francis' warm hand in his. As soon as the door was unlocked, Francis pulled Arthur past the living room and into the kitchen. "Look at this kitchen, Arthur! It has an island!"

Arthur shook his head fondly. "Do you not have a kitchen at home?"

"Not like this. The one in New York is fine, but this... it's like it's been ripped out of a magazine." Francis explained, pulling Arthur along to each aspect of the kitchen as he used his free hand to glide over the marble worktops. Where the counters ended there was a stretch of bright space where there was a wooden dining table and matching chairs. "Imagine all the things we could make in here"

"The possibilities are endless." Arthur replied, clearly unenthused. He never had much interest in cooking, almost as an act of rebellion against all of the cooking classes he was forced through in boarding school.

"Is there anything you _do_ enjoy? Or is that emotion all-together foreign to you."

Arthur shrugged. "Work, sleep."

"Fine, let's check upstairs." Then he started to tug Arthur in that direction. 

"You can let go now, Francis. Nobody can see us." 

"Oh." Francis realised he was still holding Arthur's hand. He never had to think about his physical touches around Gilbert and Antonio, they simply understood that he was a very touchy-feely person. "Sorry about that." He dropped Arthur's hand and preceded up the stairs so Arthur could follow him unattached. 

When they both got to the first room Francis opened the door to reveal a massive bedroom. Arthur walked past him into the room almost in a daze. He felt as if he were being swallowed up by luxury. Against the wall there was a King bed, the likes of which Arthur had only ever dreamed of owning. The duvet had seemingly never been slept on and looked like a cloud. At the foot of the bed there was a chaise lounge, on which the upholstery was a rosy blush colour and was made of velvet, decorated with matching pillows. There were two beside tables on either side of the bed with a lamp on both. If the house was beautiful, this room was divine. There were multiple cabinets and a door at the other side that Arthur went and opened, earning a gasp from Francis when he did so. 

"It's perfect." He whispered, disappearing into the room with a mirror wall at the end, a leather seating area in the middle, a soft carpet and bright, white lights all across the ceiling. All of these were being ignored, of course, by Francis in favour of the rows of clothes and shoes on either side of the room across the walls. A giant walk-in wardrobe. "Arthur, are you seeing this?" Francis asked, turning around to find that the Omega wasn't in his sight. "Arthur?" He walked to the doorway and poked his head around the doorframe to find Arthur sprawled on his back on the bed. "Comfortable?"

"I finally understand the meaning of the word _joy_." Arthur replied in a dead serious tone as he sank into the memory foam mattress and the inches of thick, soft duvet.

Francis laughed and turned off the lights in the walk-in wardrobe. "Want to join me on the rest of the tour?"

"Just give me a minute." Arthur beckoned and closed his eyes, sighed, then got up. "Okay, I'm ready." 

They then opened the next door on the second floor, revealing a luxurious bathroom with a tub in the middle that could could easily hold three. There was also a walk-in rain shower in the corner surrounded by glass panels and two sinks, each with their own mirror and storage unit. Next, they opened the third door that revealed an office with rows upon rows of bookshelves with the biggest oak desk either of them had ever seen, bigger even than their Captain's, with a comfortable looking leather chair behind it. 

"This house doesn't seem real." Arthur said. "You would tell me if I was dreaming, wouldn't you?" He asked Francis, who just laughed then headed back downstairs to the living room that he'd dragged Arthur past. It was very spacious, with a lot of natural light, a two comfortable-looking emerald velvet couches with a matching armchair and a nice glass coffee table with gold edges. There was also a giant tv above the fireplace and a drinks cabinet in the corner with crystal glasses inside that Arthur's eyes lingered on maybe a little too long. There was a second, smaller bathroom downstairs too, just as nice as the first but not containing a shower or bath. When they'd surveyed the inside, they made their way to the back, where there was a large back porch made of wood with a roof. There was a few chairs and a wooden bench with removable seat-covers and the porch led to a big garden that was all covered with grass. "It's amazing." Arthur said, his chest deflating with the realisation that this was the nicest place he would ever get to live. Francis must have seen the disappointment in Arthur, because he walked up next to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked, trying to get Arthur's mind off of whatever was eating him.

"Probably best to get my prescription from the Doctor." The Englishman replied, thankful for the distraction.

"You want me to come with you?" 

"No, it's alright. We should head out together though. You could just drop me off and get grocery shopping then pick me up?"

Francis nodded. "Alright." 

As soon as they locked the door and started heading towards the car a voice shouted for their attention from the left. "Hey! New neighbours!" They both turned to find a tall, blonde Alpha running towards their shared fence, with a taller blonde Omega walking close behind him, both wearing glasses. "I'm Alfred! I live right here next door." Then he pointed to the longer-haired Omega that was now at his side. "This is my twin brother Matthew. He lives in the house opposite yours."

"I can speak for myself, Al." The other man chided lightly. Up close, he was really tall. Taller than Francis, even. If they were all stood in a row, Arthur feared they would resemble an odd set of Russian nesting dolls, him being the smallest piece. "Welcome to the neighbourhood, it's nice to meet you."

"Thank you." Francis and Arthur walked over to the fence and put their hands out to shake. "I'm Francis."

"And I'm Arthur. It's a pleasure." They then took turns shaking hands with both neighbours.

"We've been waiting for someone to move in all week since the moving guys had finished. You guys have some nice stuff."

"All Francis' doing I'm afraid. I have about as much style as a dish-cloth." Everyone laughed in that way people do when engaged in small talk.

"I like your style, amour." Francis said, putting an arm around Arthur's waist and planting a small, chaste kiss on his head. Arthur just rolled his eyes. Then he turned back to the two neighbours and said, "we'd love to have you over for dinner, get to know our neighbours."

"Sounds great to me, man." Alfred said.

"Are you both free tomorrow evening?" Francis asked.

"We are, and we'd be delighted to have dinner with you both." Matthew answered. "We should speak more tomorrow in that case, it looks like we've caught you on your way out."

Arthur looked between the two and couldn't help but think they were a little young to have their own houses. They only looked to be around 21. He also considered that for brothers, they seemed very different. Alfred was practically vibrating with energy for no apparent reason while Matthew seemed the epitome of calm. "Ah yes." Arthur replied. "I'm heading to the doctor and he's going to get groceries." 

"You wouldn't happen to be going to the Williams Surgery, would you?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Yes, actually. How did-"

"It's the only Omega Clinic in town. He owns the place!" Alfred said, pointing to Matthew and beaming like the proud brother he was.

Matthew shoved Alfred, trying to maintain his humble nature. "There weren't any Omega clinics for another two towns and it didn't sit right with me, so me and Alfred took out loans so I could put my medical degree to some good use." Arthur wondered what it was like to have enough faith in someone to take a loan out for them.

"Best decision he ever made. We'd still be sharing an apartment above a shop if it wasn't for it." Alfred boasted, patting Matthew on his shoulder. "Did you book an appointment, Art?"

Arthur was a bit caught off guard by the familiarity Alfred seemed to lend to him. "Ah, no. It slipped my mind, unfortunately."

"That's no problem!" Alfred assured him. "I'm sure Matt could get you in. He _is_ the head doctor, after all."

"I wouldn't want to impose-" Arthur started.

"It wouldn't be imposing, I've got nothing to do at the moment and I'm glad to help. That's why I started the place." He assured Arthur, but he found it difficult to just believe him on his word. He didn't even know the man, but then he supposed it was his job to get to. He reminded him of him the of neighbours he'd had growing up, that offered help for no real reason other than to be part of the community. That kind of kindness was lost in New York, where he shared an apartment block with hundred's of other people that had absolutely nothing in common. When he was a pup he had friends in every street in a mile radius simply because they lived close by. Maybe that's what this was.

"What do you say, Francis? Art and Matt can go into the Clinic and we can go get you some groceries? I know all the best deals, believe me." Alfred said, clearly skipping past the first 5 steps of forming a friendship with people. 

Francis considered it, thinking how suspicious it seemed that they wanted to help their new neighbours, two perfect strangers. But then he figured that it was probably his detective paranoia feeding that thought, and that it was probably customary in a small suburb where everyone knew each-other to, well, get to know each-other. He nodded. "Alright. I'll drive." He insisted, then took Arthur's hand, leading him to the car and waiting for the other two to follow, talking lowly to him just before the other two reached them. "Are you alright with this?"

"Perfectly." Arthur confirmed and Francis nodded, letting go of Arthur as the Omega got into the passenger seat, and the other two Alphas got into the back. 

The drive to the Clinic was short, during which Alfred talked non-stop about everyone who lived around the neighbourhood as they drove past all the houses, sometimes waving and getting greetings in return. All in all he seemed rather trustworthy, if not irritating, Francis thought. When they parked in the parking lot of the Clinic, Arthur undid his seatbelt, then leaned over the middle console and kissed Francis so softly on the cheek, it was almost as if it didn't happen. "Be safe."

Francis smiled at his fake mate. "I'll be back soon, try not to worry too much."

"I'll do my best." Then Arthur got out of the car, followed by Matthew, and Alfred got out and into the front seat. 

Arthur waved as they pulled back out of the spot and drove off. "I have to admit, I'm a little nervous." He said to Matthew.

"Don't be. I don't have to be your Doctor if it's not something you're comfortable with." The tall Omega smiled warmly as they walked in to the Clinic together, which was very clean and a little bigger than Arthur had imagined it would be. 

"No, not about that. I've just never been in an Omega Clinic before. I couldn't afford it in the city."

"Ah, well there's no need to worry about that here. This is a private Clinic, but the prices are as low as I could make them, especially as many folks in the community sponsor the work we do here so we can help any Omega in any situation. The only thing we have to charge for are tests that are ran from other institutions. Things have progressed a lot in the past few years, even if they do have a long way to go." 

Matthew led Arthur through the Clinic, greeting the other staff and patients as he did so and receiving many warm smiles and greetings back, until they eventually reached an empty room. "Please, make yourself comfortable." Matthew said and gestured to the chair on the opposite side of a Doctor's desk, so Arthur sat down, more comfortable in a Doctor's presence than he had been in a very long time. Matthew gave off the air of an Alpha without meaning to, due to his height and cool-headedness. "Are you alright with me as your Doctor, Arthur? Don't worry about hurting my feelings if not, this is about you not me." 

"I am, yes."

Matthew nodded, then rolled up the sleeve of his white shirt and washed his hands in the small sink in the room. "Have you registered with us online already? Or over the phone?"

"I have." Arthur lied, but he knew he'd been registered here, because it said so in his file. 

"Excellent." Matthew said as he dried his hands, then put a white Doctor's coat on that had been hanging on the back of the door. He then sat down at the desk across from Arthur and put his name in his computer to access his records. He scrolled and clicked a few times before he found what he was looking for. "Is it the suppressants you're looking for?"

"Yes, I just-"

Matthew put a warm hand over Arthur's where it sat on the desk. "You don't have to explain yourself, it's alright." He looked back at the screen and read over the prescription then adopted a concerned face. He then reached into the drawer of the desk and pulled out a small tube of Arthur's regular prescription. "Are these the ones you usually take?" Arthur nodded. "How often have you been taking these pills?"

"Every day."

"And is that a full pill or a half?"

"A full one, every morning." 

Matthew typed something into his computer. "Okay, and how long has it been since your last heat?"

"Oh, uh." Arthur took a second to think back. "About a year and a half."

Matthew typed something else then stood up. "Would you be able to take off your coat and scarf and sit on that exam table for me?" He asked in a polite tone. Arthur nodded and walked over, jumping up on the table while Matthew took a stethoscope out of his pocket and held the metal part between his hands. "Just warming it up so it doesn't give you a shock." He explained, the put in the earpieces and put the metal to Arthur's chest over his shirt. "Okay, now could you take a deep breath, please." Arthur did as instructed. "And out again." So he did. "Okay." Then he made Arthur do the same thing two more times and put the stethoscope back in his pocket. He then grabbed a big strap from his desk. "Could you roll up your sleeve and give me your bicep?" He asked, and put the big strap around Arthurs arm, using a little machine attached to it to tighten it. "Just measuring blood pressure." 

"Is there something wrong with me?" Arthur asked, concerned at all the attention he was getting. 

"Truthfully I'm a little concerned with your medication, so I'm just checking." The pressure then went down and Matthew asked Arthur to take his old seat and said he could roll his sleeve back up and put his coat and scarf back on. "How have you been feeling recently? Have you been particularly tired or irritated?" He asked while taking his old chair opposite Arthur.

"I'm always tired and irritated so it's difficult to tell."

Matthew nodded. "Do you find yourself getting sudden rushes of emotion sometimes and then feeling a little empty at others?"

"At times it feels that way, yes."

"Okay." Matthew typed into his computer then turned and faced Arthur with a serious but kind expression. "Truthfully Arthur, I cannot give you this prescription, and no Doctor with proper training ever should have. These pills are only meant to be taken for three moths straight at most, and only at a pace of half a pill a day. It would be unethical of me to let you continue taking these, at least at the moment. Your blood pressure is a little above average because of it and they are likely the cause of your quickly shifting mood." He could see the terror in Arthur's eyes at the Doctor's confession. "You're going to be perfectly alright, I promise. It's a mistake that other Doctor's have made because suppressants are fairly new, but it's not likely to cause you permanent damage, because you're young, unless you continue and I can't in good conscience let that happen." He could see that none of that was getting to Arthur because he still looked horrified, so he lowered his voice and said in as calming a tone as possible. "If there's another reason you're afraid to go into heat you can tell me."

Arthur shook his head. "No, it's just. I never knew." He couldn't believe it. His Doctor in New York was an Alpha and had given the pills to Arthur the minute he'd asked for them, and they were _expensive_ too. 

Matthew frowned a little in sympathy. "I know it's a little much, but if you want to take legal action it's best I take a blood sample now for proof."

"I don't think I will." Arthur said. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Imagine how much ridicule he'd get for this? Being taken advantage of for over a year from an Alpha and being none the wiser. What kind of detective does that make him, that he can't even recognise a crime he's the victim of? 

"It isn't your fault." Matthew said. "If you're worried about going into heat there's facilities you can go to that can help." He added with sympathy. He's both really glad and really resentful that he saw Matthew today, because if not he could have destroyed his body, but if he hadn't he could have lived on in blissful (miserable) ignorance. Strangely though, he was glad it came from Matthew. He seemed more trustworthy than most people, and it seemed somehow easier to hear from another Omega. "I'm really very sorry, Arthur."

"I don't want to go to a facility." Arthur said. He'd been to one before, when he first went into heat. It was the same one all of the boarding school Omegas went to, and it was awful. The rooms were small and you got locked inside, alone, while they pushed food through a small hatch that you didn't want to eat, and water at select intervals. He's sure not all places are like that, but he couldn't even go close to one after his first experience. "I've never gone into heat with Francis around before." He thought outloud, then began to panic. "What if he thinks I'm disgusting? Isn't there anything I can do?"

"Unfortunately there isn't a solution to missing your heats so permanently yet, though there is research heading that way. Going into heat is a natural part of our biology, Arthur. There's nothing to be ashamed of." _Our_ biology. It comforted Arthur to see Matthew embrace the part of himself that Arthur hated the most. If he could get a medical degree, become a doctor, and open a clinic all while not on suppressants, Arthur could at least try one case. "Also, Francis _knows_ that you're an Omega, and will have taken sex education classes because they're compulsory so don't worry. It's normal to be apprehensive about these things. The effects of your medication will take at least a week to wear off completely too, so you won't just be thrown into a full-blown heat if that helps any."

"Thank you, Matthew." Arthur said, sincerely, even though he could feel the panic simmering beneath the surface, waiting. "If there's nothing to be done, could we leave now? Unless you have other patients that is, in which I'll just go , obviously, but-"

"We can go." Matthew agreed, cutting off Arthur's nervous rambling. 

"You won't tell him will you?" 

"Francis?" Matthew got up and put his coat back on the hook on the door before opening it. "I won't breath a word. Everything in this room is strictly confidential." _Good,_ Arthur thought, _maybe I can stop my heat with the force of sheer will power._

"Thank you."

"No problem." They walked back outside and stood on the curb as they waited for Alfred and Francis to return with the car.

"Do you find it difficult?" Arthur asked.

"Being a Doctor? No. I always wanted to do it. Being an _Omega_ Doctor? Yes. Despite everything in the media, the world is still not in our favour, but as soon as I learned that being an Omega doesn't define me, things got a lot better. Alpha's at medical school used to ridicule Omega's that wanted to specialise in Omega biology, but in the end it was them that took the simpler path and became Doctor's that can't even handle a prescription, and I became the owner of my own practise." He was going to get along with this neighbour, he could tell. 

The car pulled up then, and Francis got out to first open the car door for Arthur, and then for Matthew, Alfred already being in the back holding onto a carton of eggs so they didn't roll over and get crushed. Arthur wanted to shake his head at the chivalry but didn't. "Everything alright?" Francis asked him as he got back into the driver's seat and pulled away.

"Perfectly fine." Arthur said, thankful that Matthew kept his word and didn't say anything to rebuke him.

"Glad to hear it." Francis smiled.

"How was your trip?" 

"Excellent! Alfred wasn't lying when he said he knew all the best deals. We have enough food to feed a small village."

"A valiant effort." Arthur commented. 

"It was so fun!" Alfred inputted loudly. The fact he hadn't spoken in two minutes must have been chipping away at him, poor thing. "Francis has this real sexy thing he does where he reaches the top shelf without having to ask for assistance."

Arthur laughed. "Yes, it's _very_ sexy when he does that."

"You're a lucky man, Art." Alfred said with amusement in his tone before switching topics to something else. Arthur stopped listening though (not that it deterred the endless waterfall of nonsense that came out of Alfred's mouth) and became a bit over-encumbered with his thoughts. _Some day someone will be a lucky man to have Francis. No-one will be a lucky man to have me, though. I can't even take my own fucking medication right._ His thoughts continued on in that vain until the car stopped and Francis had opened his door. The other two had already gotten out and were helping Francis take in the groceries. 

"Arthur, seriously, are you okay?" Francis said in his detective partner voice. No nonsense.

The Omega blinked and rubbed his eyes before plastering on a smile. "Just tired. It seems like today has been three months long." He said, and got out of the car. 

Francis seemed dubious of that, but didn't question it. Instead he just brought in the last bag of groceries, then stood at the door with Arthur as they bid their new neighbours goodbye. "It was wonderful meeting you." Matthew said to them both. "I'm sorry Alfred forced us on you today, I can imagine it's already been stressful enough."

"Hey!" Alfred protested, punching Matthew in the shoulder. "Just being friendly! I'd have given my left arm to have someone welcome us when we first arrived." He turned to Francis and Arthur then to explain himself. "We're a bit different than the folks that usually move here, all couples and families. There's a few bachelors now, but not many, and Matt is the only Omega that lives alone. You guys should fit in great though!" 

"Thank you very much." Francis said. "We'd love to hear more about you two at dinner." 

"I can't wait, see you guys then!" Alfred assured. "It was great meeting you."

"And you." Arthur said, earning him a smile from the brothers, who then turned and made their way back to their houses.

Upon shutting the door Francis let out a huge, relieved sigh. "I have her met a man that talks so much in my entire life. He didn't breath once." He reminded Francis a little of Gilbert when they'd first met at the academy, but he was used to Gilbert now. This man was like Gilbert on speed.

"I'm sure you'll recover from the trauma."

"How was the other one?"

Arthur walked further inside and hung up his scarf and cardigan. "His _name_ is Matthew, and he was fine. Very skilled Doctor, actually."

"Is that admiration I hear? Do I have something to be jealous of?" Francis teased. 

"I don't know him well enough to admire him, so no. He is simply good at his job that's all."

"No problems with your prescription then?"

Arthur turned to the Alpha. "What makes you say that?"

Francis gave back wide, confused eyes. "Just making conversation."

"Right. Well, the answer's no. No problems at all." He lied easily. As soon as Francis was out the door tomorrow he was going to check online for at-home remedies for avoiding going into heat. He's sure something would work, and there was no point alarming his case partner if it was something that could be easily prevented.

"Good to hear." Francis said. "I was thinking of making ratatouille for dinner, what do you think?"

"Have whatever you want." Arthur replied, not understanding why he'd been asked.

"For both of us, you simple little man." Francis supplied. 

"Oh. I don't really eat meat."

Francis looked as if he was seconds from bursting into laughter. "Arthur, what do you think ratatouille is?"

The Omega felt his cheeks heat up at being ridiculed. "How am I supposed to know? Stop looking at me like that! I'm going to take a bath." And then he retreated upstairs followed by Francis' echoing chuckles. 

"I'll make you a plate!" Was the last thing he heard from the Alpha before he shut the door to the bathroom.

He ran the hot tap for the bath to cover up the sounds of his impending crisis. "What have you gotten yourself into, Arthur?" He whispered to himself in the mirror. He finally allowed the reality of the information he received at the Doctor's office to come to the surface, and now it was there he had no idea what to do with it. The first idea that popped into view was that he could find someone who sold them, a dealer, but that was quickly shot down by the reminder that he was, in fact, law enforcement. The second, that had been creeping around in the corner of his consciousness, was that he could find home-remedies, but he knew that was a thought he was using as a comfort rather than a real solution. Home-remedies never worked. "Fuck." 

He could feel the pulsing behind his eyes that told him he was starting to induce a stress-migraine. "Why can't _anything_ just be easy?" He forced himself to take deep breaths and relax his muscles. A week, Matthew had said. He had a whole week to figure it out. Worrying about it right now wasn't going to do him any good at all. Maybe, by some miracle, they could pull this all off in a week, but he doubted it. Regardless, he decided to put the issue in a file in his head for later, and got in the bath.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He didn't even get to take his favourite mug." Antonio said, holding a white mug with a gold, cursive F painted onto the front that he'd given Francis for his birthday a few years back.

"That's the only mug he has of course it's his favourite-"

"Or his favourite towel." His put the mug on a matching hand towel that had come with the gift set. Gilbert sighed, looking at his friend from the armchair with irritation.

"I don't think he'll need-"

"Or his favourite coaster!" He held up the final part of the giftset, then set it down with the rest of Francis' things that he'd listed. 

"Toni, this needs to stop." Gilbert said. "He doesn't need any of that stuff to survive! What he does need is to be out of harms way, which is where he likely is so try to calm down, please." The German man pleaded. "I think it's time to step into my office." Gilbert said, gesturing to the couch.

Antonio nodded his head solemnly and laid down on the couch as if he were in therapy and Gilbert was his psychiatrist. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to move on when I don't know where he is or what he's doing. What if by "getting shipped off somewhere," he meant they were flying him and not actually putting him on a boat? You _know_ how he gets in the air. He could be anywhere in the world!"

Gilbert crossed his legs and put his hands in his lap, the position he usually assumed when talking through his friends' emotions with them. "Firstly, you have to stop talking about him like he's dead. I guarantee you that he's fine. If it was something deadly serious he wouldn't be able to keep it from us. Secondly, he's great at coping with stressful and scary situations, I'm sure if they put him on a plane he could handle it. He's a lot stronger than you give him credit for."

Antonio hummed an agreement to Gilbert's words. "You're right. I worry too much."

"I know you do." Gilbert agreed. "Last time I flew back to Germany for my Sire's birthday you filled up my voicemail."

"I just want to know you're okay, that's all."

"And we appreciate that, truly. However, contrary to popular belief, we are fully grown men and we can take care of ourselves. We managed up until we met you, after all."

Antonio snorted. "When I met you, you had a broken arm and a bruised cheek."

"Okay, I'm a bad example, but Francis was just fine." He thought for a second then added, "well, apart from the fact he used to skip breakfast, _and_ he used to talk to every soul he came into contact with no matter how scary they were." Then he thought about it some more and added, "and he would rather be beaten to a pulp before raising his own fist in anger, hence the broken arm and bruised cheek on my part." He'd had to protect Francis in a bar fight more than a few times, especially when he'd been insulted and didn't do anything to defend himself, which often ended in the blonde Alpha chiding him while carrying his broken body home. " _Oh my God,_ Toni, you're right. What have we let out boy get into?"

Antonio sat up and made an exasperated gesture. "That's what I've been saying this whole time."

"I can't believe I'm making us wait until tomorrow to investigate this."

Antonio nodded, sympathetically. "We all make mistakes, Gil."

"He's too good to be out there alone." 

"Well, there's nothing we can do until tomorrow night now, so how about we think about something else?"

"Like what?"

The Spanish Alpha thought for a second, then clicked his fingers with an idea. "What I should wear for my date tomorrow."

"That's more like it!" Gilbert said, and hopped off the armchair. "Let's go look through Francis' wardrobe. He has all the best clothes."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The water had just started getting cold when Arthur heard Francis' voice beckoning him to join him downstairs for dinner, so he quickly got out and wrapped a towel around his torso then went to the walk-in wardrobe. As soon as he walked in, he was annoyed. His entire side was soft pastel shirts and jumpers and vests along with plain and patterned pants, compared to Francis' side which was monotonous and professional. With a sigh, he reached into his underwear drawer and got out some plain white boxers, ignoring the lacy, silky monstrosities neatly folded at the back, and put them on. Then he went for his pyjamas, it was 6:30pm after all, which were, unfortunately, only shorts with matching oversized shirts. _What's the point? People aren't going to watch up sleep!_ He thought, but donned the clothes anyway, because at least he had an excuse for being in the comfortable clothes and wouldn't come across as _soft_ for wearing them. 

He then went downstairs to find that Francis had laid a plate for him on the dining table. He'd also seemingly put away all of the groceries while Arthur was pre-occupied. "Smells good." He complimented as he sat down.

"Merci. Don't worry, it's a meatless dish." Francis assured. 

"I can see that." The Omega said back, a little defensive after feeling stupid earlier. 

They ate the meal in relative silence, a comment here and there but nothing more. It felt a little awkward, but they had very little to talk about. They'd never known each other outside of a professional capacity and now were acting mates. 

While Arthur was filling the dishwasher, he ventured to break the ice a little. "Do you like the house?"

"I love it." Francis said, cleaning the glassware at the sink. "I could imagine myself settling down with someone in a house like this, but I'd miss the city. What about you?"

"I can't imagine myself setting down at all. But the house I _do_ like." He looked out of the window to where the porch lights illuminated the grass landscape of their garden. "I think I'll go and get some flowers tomorrow."

"I think that would be fun." Francis agreed, but wasn't quick to skip other Arthur's first statement. "Why do you think you wouldn't settle down?"

Arthur had finished packing the dishwasher and was leaning against the counter while Francis finished up the last glass. "I don't want to be bound by something like that. As soon as Omegas settle down they seem to lose all sense of themselves. They quit their jobs, they have pups, and they just give up who they were. That's not who I want to be."

Francis turned once he'd finished his chore and faced Arthur, leaning on the opposite counter. "It doesn't have to be like that. There's plenty of mates that choose not to have pups. Settling down isn't about changing yourself for a mate, it's about finding the one you love and committing to that happiness. That doesn't always mean quitting jobs and starting a family. Sometimes, all they have is each other and that's more than enough."

"Is that what you want?"

"Absolutely." Francis said, smiling. "Since I was a pup myself I've always wanted true love. It's the only magic we have left."

Arthur rolled his eyes but smiled back. "I meant the whole pups and a family thing."

Francis took a second to think about that, then came to a decision. "I don't mind." He eventually said, honestly. "I would be perfectly content to live out my days with the one I love alone. But if they wanted a family, I'd support that."

"Very romantic." Arthur said, pushing away from the counter and heading towards the living room. Francis followed him and sat down on the couch as Arthur went to the liquor cabinet, thankful to see that Francis had gotten some whisky to fill up space. "Want a glass?"

"Only a small one." Francis said, turning on their tv and flicking through while Arthur filled their glasses, eventually landing on an old black and white movie that he'd never seen before. He left it on because he liked the classic romance in them as much as he hated to admit it. Arthur passed him a glass that had a third as much as in as Arthur's did, even though the amount he'd been given was a normal amount in the first place, but he didn't mention it. Then Arthur sat in the armchair on the right of the coffee table. "You can sit next to me, you know. I don't bite."

"I know, I just like leaning on the arm-rests." Arthur sipped his drink and made no face, making Francis falsely believe it was a nice drink. When the first sip abused his throat however, he knew that to be a lie. But again, he never mentioned it, glad for the calm atmosphere that seemed a rarity between them. 

They watched the movie in peace, and then got half-way through another before Francis heard a soft, sharp intake of breath from his right, and looked over to find Arthur sleeping on the chair, empty glass hanging dangerously loose in his hand. _Exhaustion from the plane ride finally caught up with him,_ he thought. He leaned forward to put his glass on the table, then did the same with Arthur's. _I'll clean them tomorrow,_ he decided. Then he looked down at the sleeping Omega, all curled up into himself with his head on the armrest. It was actually a little bit adorable, if Francis was being honest with himself, but he knew it would be hell on his body to sleep like that all night. So, as gently as he could, he manoeuvred Arthur so he could get one arm under his legs, and the other under his back, and picked him up bridal style. There was little resistance, which Francis was grateful for. In fact, Arthur leaned his head on Francis and nuzzled his shoulder a little in his sleep. 

He took Arthur upstairs and put him in bed, making sure he was covered with the duvet before going into the wardrobe and changing into a vest and shorts and getting into bed on the other side, not touching Arthur at all. He smiled as he imagined a future for himself in a house like this, one day, then closed his eyes and went to sleep, ready for the big day ahead tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aiming for getting at least one chapter out every week :)


	3. Ride Along

For the first time in years, Arthur woke up to the sensation of being blinded by direct sunlight. He cupped a hand over his eyes and looked at the digital alarm clock on his table as it read 6:00am. With a grunt he rubbed a hand over his tired face, then turned to his bed-partner. Francis definitely appeared to be a morning person, so Arthur was surprised to have woken up before him, even though he'd fallen asleep hours before the Alpha had. He remembered then that he'd fallen asleep on the armchair downstairs. _That means..._ He gave Francis a small smile that he wouldn't have given had the other been awake to receive it.Arthur sat up and contemplated asking Francis to switch sides when he was awake. He hated the sun, but Francis was born to be in it. Looking over at Francis with his back turned to him he noticed the light gave the alpha's skin a healthy glow and made his hair shine like fine, spun gold. He could be in bed with Apollo and not be able to tell the difference. Unfortunately, Arthur looked like Icarus after falling down to earth in the morning, and Francis being perfect at all times only cemented that fact. 

Carefully, so as not to wake up his peaceful partner, he got out of the world's most comfortable bed and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth before going downstairs. He first went through the living room as it was at the bottom of the staircase, and noticed the glasses on the table so picked them up on his way to the kitchen and cleaned them. He admired the crystal glasses as he did so, turning them in his hands to watch the shards of light refract in different directions like an expensive kaleidoscope. He wasn't used to such casual luxury, and he had to be careful not to get too used to it either. When he turned the tap off after putting the glasses on a drying rack he stood and looked out of the window for a few minutes. There was the faint sound of birds singing as they danced through the air and hopped over the grass. It was unnerving to Arthur to be surrounded by such silence. In the edges of the city where he lived there was constant noise pollution of all kinds- construction works, police and ambulance sirens, screaming, fighting, music, everything. He was never abandoned to his thoughts the way he was right now. Fortunately his mind was mostly empty at this time on a morning, but he dreaded being forced to live with himself in the silence when he was fully awake.

Ignoring that thought, he decided to pull a mug out for himself, and one for Francis so as not to be rude, and made himself a cup of tea. From the few cases he'd been on with Francis he knew the Alpha preferred coffee, so he simply filled the coffee machine they had been given and put Francis' mug under it. He sat at the kitchen counter with his tea after he'd made it, and cradled it to help his hands fight off the morning chill that had settled in the kitchen overnight. Usually, he'd have taken his pill by now, which was a worry, but he tried to ignore that. Instead, he remembered the notion of buying flowers today, and smiled at the thought. He hadn't planted flowers since he was a pup. His brothers had trampled them straight after, but he'd been proud of them before that nonetheless. Not long after he'd decided on a bright hanging basket arrangement he heard movement upstairs, so he got up and turned the coffee machine on. As it filled the mug to the top, Francis appeared at the bottom of the staircase. 

"Good morning, Mr Bonnefoy." Arthur said. "I made you coffee, since I was up first."

Francis smiled at him with tired eyes. "Merci, Monsieur Bonnefoy." 

"Don't get cocky." Arthur teased, handing the blonde man his cup, and for the first time that morning noticing a dirty blonde five o'clock shadow on his face, as if he could get more good-looking. Arthur was, quite frankly, jealous. He'd never been able to grow facial hair, and it had been a target of teasing for him for years. Francis took a sip and gave a small, involuntary moan at the feeling of the warm liquid travelling down his throat. He loved morning coffee, it felt like he was being embraced from the inside out. Arthur watched the scene and envied the carefree nature of the other man. "Nervous?"

"Whatever for?" His accent was much thicker in the morning, and his voice much rougher. Arthur hated to admit it, but he rather liked the sound of it.

"Your first day working for big bad Braginski."

"Oh, non." Francis said, shrugging his shoulders. "I've dealt with far worse than the likes of him." That much was true, Arthur thought. Francis had had some very intense cases with crimes far worse than blackmail. They both did. The only thing about this case is that so much more was dependant on it. It was the case at the peak of the mountain of cases Arthur had dealt with. This was what could get him ahead for the Sergeant position. "I'm more worried about how much the blue in my uniform washes me out. C'est _très_ peu flatteur." 

Arthur snorted, and as repulsive as he found the sound, Francis seemed to find it amusing. "I'm sure no-one will notice."

"You only say that because your wardrobe is charming. I'm expected to dress like I've lost the will to live."

"I'm perfectly willing to switch if you'd prefer. My will to live died out years ago."

"Tell your pastel shirts that." Francis drank the rest of his small coffee then put his mug in the sink. "I have to get ready for work." Then he made his way upstairs and out of Arthur's view. 

Arthur finished his tea in silence then washed and dried the cups. After that, he wasn't really sure what to do except wait for Francis so he could shower next. He never wasted time on mornings. He always woke up, had a shower, then got to work. Even on weekends, he would be up early and in the gym at this time, else he feared he would loose the ability to be awake early enough the other days of the week. In lieu of anything else, he simply wandered around until the idea hit him to go and see if there was anything he could read in the office. 

In the shower, Francis felt at complete peace. The shower in the hotel had absolutely nothing on this place. Here, he stood directly beneath a huge stream of water, and in his head he was indulging in a shower beneath the clear waters of a waterfall. It was an imaginary place he often took himself when he was in the shower, but it was never quite as fulfilled in the one he shared with his friends. Their bathroom smelled of Alpha all the time, and it was only when the water was flowing that Francis could ignore it but here the air was light and smelled clean. He found himself humming a song that he hadn't realised he had been, and never did at home so as not to cause too much noise while the others were sleeping. Here, with the only house occupant downstairs, it seemed not as much of a big deal to make noise in the shower. With that thought, he allowed himself to delve back into his waterfall fantasy as he lathered his body with soap. As he stood in the cascading waters he liked to imagine the lush green forest in his head as alive, watching him, finding his image to be the very height of desire. He allowed his hands to wander further this time, slowly groping himself unconsciously before he remembered where he was. The fantasy broke immediately, and embarrassment quickly followed. He finished washing his body and hair as his arousal slowly got rid of itself. When he had turned off the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist, he tried to make a speedy exit to the wardrobe and get rid of any remaining indecency by putting on his hideous uniform. Sadly, though, his speed overtook his senses and he found himself walking straight into Arthur. 

"Ah, Sorry-"

"Désolé-"

Arthur breathed in then and turned his head immediately away from Francis. "Were you just-"

"Non." Francis laughed awkwardly. "I have to get dressed." Then he was off into the bedroom, leaning against the door after he shut it and cursing his luck.

Arthur just stood in shock for a moment. _What did I even come up here for?_ It took a few seconds for him to remember and walk into the office, shutting the door behind him and deciding to lessen Francis' embarrassment by letting the other man get dressed and leave for work without having to see the Omega again. He could still feel the damp on his hands from where he'd put them up to stop Francis from completely bowling him over. They had come into contact with a very hairless, warm, and _wet_ chest. Francis' skin had felt like there was a welcome fire burning beneath to Arthur's cold hands. All that would have been awkward enough without the faint smell of arousal coming from Francis that had floored Arthur a little. His brain was still trying to get over it now, in fact. He had forgotten how good Francis smelled after that shower in the hotel, but he doubted he would ever forget it now. The man smelled absolutely intoxicating. He's sure if his medication had already worn off he'd have given off a scent of his own in response but as it was luck was on his side and there was no such happening. _Suppressants!_ He'd almost forgotten he needed to research alternative means. 

Wiping his hands on his shirt he took a seat on the leather chair of the desk and opened the laptop that was placed very neatly in the middle. There was no password and it was already connected to their internet so he searched straight away. He searched until he heard the front door close, and still found no results that benefitted him. There were herbal remedies for cramps or relaxation or other things to do with heats but nothing that would help to stop them. He'd just have to hurry and do his job, then. The sooner he and Francis finished this case, the sooner he could return to blissful ignorance with his old doctor. With that goal clear in his mind he went into the bathroom where the smell of Francis had escaped through the window and the air was cold and empty. _Just think of the promotion, Kirkland,_ he thought to himself on repeat as he hopped into the shower to get ready for his first day of the most important case of his career.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Francis pulled up to the huge office block he couldn't help but admire it. Sure, being a criminal was morally wrong, but it could certainly fast-track you into high society. Placed between two other buildings of like-height, Braginski Technologies looked sleek and modern with huge planes of thick glass serving as a front, the company name carved into the middle of them. Walking through the door also alerted Francis to the fact that there was immediate air conditioning to battle the sticky heat outside. The glass also apparently served to block all noise to and from the outside, making the sounds of classical piano and general workplace noise a nice atmosphere. Looking around the lobby no-one would think this was all run by a criminal. 

"I assume by your uniform you're the new head of security?" A kind, accented voice came from the reception. Francis looked towards it to find an Omega woman behind the desk with short, blonde hair in a very professional, straight bob. The name-tag on the collar of her blazer read: _Iryna._

"I am, oui."

"Ah! French?" She asked.

"Yes." Francis answered, donning his most charming smile. "Francis Bonnefoy." He reached his hand across to shake her hand, and was surprises to find her grip so gentle. She seemed really sweet for someone who was the front of Ivan Braginski's company, but then he supposed that was the point. He also heard his inner voice whispering the phrase _a wolf in sheep's clothing_ distantly.

"Iryna." She replied. "Nice to meet you, Francis. I'm from the Ukraine."

"A long way from home." He said, making small talk.

She smiled back at him. "This is my home, now. I enjoy it here very much." She type into her computer then picked up a lanyard and a set of keys, handing them to him. "This is your ID, security card and keys for the building." Francis took them from her, as she reached for the phone and tapped in a few numbers, then spoke into the receiver. "Hello, Sir. Yes, he's here, I'll have him come up if you're ready for him." There was a small pause then as she got an answer. "Perfect, he's on his way." She then put the phone down and turned bak to Francis. "Mr Braginski will see you now. He's on the twelfth floor, straight down the main corridor, you can't miss it. Any questions?"

"None. You've been very helpful."

"Well, if you have any don't hesitate to ask. I'm always available. Even if you want a chat, it can get lonely down here by myself all the time." 

Francis smiled brightly at her. "I'll keep that in mind." He was about to turn towards the elevator when another woman walked up to both him and Iryna in a very flattering pant-suit with her white-blonde hair perfectly straightened to match the rest of her perfect attire. 

"Not bothering the newbies again are we, Iryna?" She asked the receptionist but didn't actually look at her, keeping her wary gaze on Francis. 

"Of course not, Natalia." The receptionist replied.

"Bonnefoy, I presume." The long-haired blonde held her arm out and Francis thought he was going to have to shake her hand before she forwent that and squeezed his bicep instead. "Oh, yes, you'll do nicely." Underneath her perfume, Francis could smell her sharp Omega scent. "You're much more handsome than the last one."

"Merci, Madame." He said back, not letting his nerves show. "You yourself are very beautiful."

She laughed in a detached way. "Natalia..." Came the warning tone of the receptionist. 

"You're no fun." Natalia complained, whipping her head around to glare at the receptionist and then looking back to Francis and changing her expression to flirtatious in a split second. "Ignore her, come with me. I'll take you to Ivan." She then moved to Francis' side and linked arms with him, leading him to the elevator. 

"You know Mr Braginski personally?" He asked as they stepped into the huge elevator. There was room enough for at least fifteen but Natalia stayed pressed close to Francis' body. 

"You could say that." Then she laughed like she knew something he didn't. She probably knew _a lot_ that he didn't, as it was. "You look nervous."

"Anticipation, that's all." He said, glancing at her to find her staring at him in an unnerving way, maybe waiting for him to slip up or to freak him out before he met the boss.

"I like you, Francis." She said. "I like the way you hold yourself." She leaned closer to him then. "I like the way you smell." She then leaned in and sniffed at his neck and he felt his heart skip a beat. He let out a short laugh.

"So does my husband."

"Ah, you prefer male Omegas?" She asked, not pulling away as much as Francis had expected but rather going back to how she had been before.

"I prefer anyone I have a connection with." 

She grinned predatorily. "Then we shall have to strive to make one." 

He wanted to protest at the boldness of the Omega, but didn't want to cause any problems on his first day, especially with someone who must have been important to walk around with such confidence. He also felt, in a strange sort of way, that he would be betraying Arthur. _It's not real,_ he had to remind himself, _Arthur would appreciate it a hundred times more if you actually did your job and got this case on his record rather than apply your loyalty to a sham marriage._ Still, he didn't want anything to do with the dangerous woman. "Indeed."

She finally looked away from him as the elevator doors opened and she walked him out and to the end of the sixth floor corridor. There was a lot of space on this floor, filled with separate rooms attached to either side of the corridor, all walls made of glass so anyone in charge could make sure people were working at all times. The floors were white and matched the roof, meaning there was no chance for the eyes to land on anything comfortable, keeping them open and alert. The natural light from the outside streaming in through the thick outer glass probably helped with that too, paired with the cool air-conditioned atmosphere. Trying to relax in here would be like trying to relax on the peak of Everest during a storm. In front of the large office at the end of the corridor with Ivan Braginsky carved into the opaque glass, the only room not in view of everyone, there was a small white desk and a row of cabinets with a plaque reading receptionist on it. "Where's the receptionist?" Francis asked.

"Oh they drop like flies around here. Just can't handle the pressure." Natalia said, shrugging. Then she turned to Francis with what he could only describe as bedroom eyes. "I'm looking forward to seeing you around, Francis." She said, and Francis could smell the attraction she had for him lingering as she walked away, leaving him in front of Ivan's office. It had been a while since he had smelled that sort of attraction, what with living with his two Alpha friends. Her scent wasn't particularly pleasing to Francis, too citrusy and sharp, but he appreciated being wanted, as guilty as it made him. 

Rubbing his nose to get rid of her scent, he knocked on the door. After receiving a short, flat, "come in", he did just that. He closed the door behind him then walked in to where Ivan Braginsky sat in a big, modern office, all angles and new technology. The Alpha was huge, at least a head taller than Francis which he would tell even while the man wasn't standing up. His photo could never have prepared Francis for intimidating he looked in real life. He was sitting behind a wide desk facing the door and looked at Francis like one would look at a rat in their kitchen, like he was automatically beneath him. Francis hated dealing with Alphas like this, who thought they were above everybody else. That' show his sire used to see himself too.

"It's an honour to meet you, Sir."

"Yes." Ivan said, and Francis hated how silent his office was. It seemed to be the only place in the building, so far, devoid of the comfort of background music. "I hired you because of your clean record working for one of the most prestigious art museums in the world." 

"Thank you, Sir." 

"Why did you leave that post? It is much higher paying than this one." Ivan asked, immediately suspicious of Francis. It was only right, the French Alpha guessed, seeing as how he was breaking the law. He was also aware that Ivan left no room for deliberation between questions, striving as much as possible to get Francis first natural and true response.

"I got married." He raised his left hand to show his ring as proof. "I wanted to be able to provide for him, and the prices of homes were far too expensive in the city for my salary to cover. Here, however, the prices are much more reasonable and the area we live now is perfect for raising a family."

Ivan nodded. "Your mate, what is his name?"

"Arthur."

"How long have you been married?"

"Three months, Sir."

"Congratulations." Ivan said, though the emotion that usually accompanied the words was noticeably absent. 

"Thank you, Sir."

"Call me Ivan." 

"Thank you, _Ivan._ " Francis corrected.

"I assume you understand your duties as they are very similar to your last job, but in case you need refreshing on any details you can refer to your second-in-command, Natalia. I assume you've already met. She isn't exactly the quiet, reserved type."

"We met just before I got here." Francis confirmed. He forced himself to keep his cool even though he could hear his own heartbeat.

"Excellent, no need for further introduction then." Ivan then opened up the laptop on his desk and lost all interest in Francis. "That's all, you may go."

"Thank you." Then he was out the door and in the hallway, processing what had just transpired. He could tell that Ivan didn't trust him, which he had expected, but he hadn't realised his personal life would be examined and laid before Ivan quite as meticulously as his working life. Ludwig was right to set up the operation the way he had. If Francis or Arthur had come alone there would be twice the suspicion about motive, but this made sense. As he was following the signs to the security sector of the building he couldn't help but wonder what Arthur was doing. He felt guilty not saying goodbye when he left but the Omega had gone into the office without a word after their awkward encounter and Francis assumed that was him saying he didn't want to prolong the awkwardness by talking to him again. Still, he worried a little. Arthur didn't seem like the type to converse with neighbours and act friendly all day.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arthur figured the best way to start things out would be to go out and get flowers so he'd have an excuse to fret around on the front lawn and meet neighbours, but as soon as he got outside he realised the he had no car to get him to the store. It hadn't even occurred to Arthur that Francis had to drive the car to work, so he did the only logical thing and searched for the number of local cab companies. Just as he'd dialled and asked for a cab though, there was a loud, familiar sound that had Arthur straightening his back and turning to the direct source. It had been the intrusive siren of a police car, but it had only lasted a second. When he'd turned towards the perpetrator he tried to look less irritated than he actually was. He cancelled the cab and hung up the phone, apologising, before a voice came from the police car, loud and filled with static. "Lookin' a little lost there, Art."

Arthur walked up to the car with the passenger window rolled down. "You're a police officer?"

"Sheriff, actually." Alfred replied with a big grin. "I'm just patrolling today, ready for any incoming calls. The station was getting a little quiet." He shrugged, as if it wasn't his responsibility to make sure the station was protected at all times. "You need help with something? It's a little slow today."

"Francis took the rental and I need to get to the flower store." He thought for a second. "Actually, I should probably go to a car dealership first. The rental only lasts three days."

"Hop in, I know just the place!"

"Of course you do." Arthur replied, but got in the car anyway. "How long have you been Sheriff?" He asked politely as they pulled away from his house.

"Just under a year. I love my job, all I do all day is help people and save the day." Alfred gave Arthur a wide, genuine smile "Where's Francis?"

"He started his new job today."

"A little soon isn't it? You've only just moved in."

"We don't have too much money saved." Arthur said, worrying about the invasive question. _Why does he care about that?_ "Francis reckons he's better off starting work straight away and we can have more time alone when he's established himself and _earned_ time off." A decent lie, and a believable one at that. He'd learned to lie very young though, so that was no surprise. He crossed his arms then, at the fact that he had to sit here and socialise while Francis got to be in the middle of the action. He wondered what, exactly, he was supposed to be doing that was helping. Alfred observed the action, but took a completely different meaning from it. 

"He probably just wants to make sure you're well-cared for, it won't be that he doesn't want to spend time with you."

Arthur heard that and remembered what his eldest brother had taught him when he was a pup. _The easiest way to get away with a lie is to leave it vague. People like to assume they're better at knowing you than you are, so run with whatever they say._ "I don't blame him." Arthur said. "It's very sweet, really. I just wish he understood that I'd live in a tent in a field as long as I was with him." He said this with ease, and knew it was simply an amalgamation of all the lines from the romantic movies he'd been forced to watch in media studies at boarding school, and then at home at full volume when his parents were fighting. 

"That's really adorable, Art." Alfred said. "He does love you, though, I can tell." 

"I love him too." He twisted the wedding ring around his finger and wondered what it would be like to mean those words and have someone mean them back, though he knew it would never happen, because love was something that only existed in movies and books. 

"Here we are." Alfred said, as he pulled up to a car dealership and parked. "I'll take the radio and come with you." Alfred insisted and was already out of the car before Arthur could disagree. With a sigh he got out of the car and joined him. "Hot today ain't it?"

"Very." Arthur agreed. For that very reason he'd worn one of the lighter shirts he'd been provided with which was a pale blue made with airy fabric, and leggings. He felt less clammy in the hot weather than he had in years. 

"What type of car are you looking for?"

"Any, really."

"So like, a _family_ car or?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the other man, who seemed to not have any concept of acceptable conversation topics with people you've only known a day. "Not quite yet."

"Cool, cool. How about this one then?" He slapped the hood of a dark blue car and looked at Arthur expectantly. 

"Sure." He said. Alfred looked at him with something akin to disappointment in his eyes.

"Arty, do you know anything about cars?"

"I know how to drive them." Arthur said, and Alfred laughed. "We don't need cars in the city."

"You're a funny guy. Come on, I'll teach you everything you need to know."

"Alfred, I think we both have things we need to be doing-"

"Fuck that. I've got my radio on and your plan so far is to get some flowers. I thought you said you wanted to get to know me?" Alfred said, then added a pout to the end of the sentence. 

"Fine, you win." Arthur said.

"Excellent." Alfred replied, nodding his head. He supposed it wouldn't be too bad a start to the case to get to know the local law enforcement. Everyone in the suburb was likely to have at least heard of Alfred if not dealt with him directly, so it seemed like a good place to start spanning a web of relationships with the neighbours. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Francis had been sat at his desk all day, where he had been scouring over the security cameras, waiting for a moment to prove himself to Ivan, even working through lunch. He thought that his first day had been pointless until something caught his attention. The bathroom on the second floor. There were no cameras inside, obviously, but it was this fact that made it suspicious that one particular employee kept going after checking his phone slyly in his blazer pocket. He always looked left and right before checking his phone, which he shouldn't have had on him at all.

"You." Francis said, taking on his _in charge_ voice and spinning around to point at one of the security officers that share the big space. "This Alpha," he pointed to the man on screen, "does he have some sort of medical condition?" The Alpha that he had pointed at quickly searched the information on his computer.

"No, sir, not in his records."

"Is there a reason he has a phone on him at all times?" The officer looked up the information again, then shook his head. "Who is patrolling that floor right now?"

"Officer Adnan, Sir."

Francis turned on his earpiece and radio, using the radio first to contact Adnan and have him calmly take the Alpha in question to empty room. Then, he used his earpiece to contact his second in command as he got up and left the office. "Natalia."

"Hello, handsome."

"Has there been any problems with data leaks recently." 

"Actually, there has, for a few weeks now. But we haven't been able to pinpoint anyone. What do you have?" 

"Meet me on floor 2, office 13." 

When he got there the Alpha he'd caught on camera looked like he was about to pass out. His knee was bouncing like it was set to vibrate and there were beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Francis knew a guilty face when he saw one. He didn't think that any part of this would actually be enjoyable, but he was going to enjoy this. His favourite part of a case was making a perp confess, because he was allowed to be creative with it. He, Antonio and Gilbert used every play in the book to get confessions. This was very similar. Francis waked in confidently and sat on the edge of the desk the nervous Alpha was sat in front of. He crossed his arms as he looked over the man with an unimpressed expression. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Francis Bonnefoy, the new head of security." He gave the Alpha a sickly sweet smile as Natalia walked in, shutting the door behind her and letting Francis take the lead, wanting to see what he was made of. "Are you aware that there are no personal phones allowed in the workplace?"

"Yes." 

"Oh? Why is it _you_ have one then?"

The man sitting fidgeted as he felt three pairs of accusing eyes on him. "I don't."

"Then you won't mind my associate searching?" Francis used a hand gesture to make Adnan step forward, but wasn't expecting the other security guard to roughly pick the man up from his chair and slam him face first into the wall, patting down his sides. He didn't flinch at the display though, knowing that doing so would make Natalia think he was weak. 

"Wait!" The pinned man shouted. Adnan looked to Francis for guidance, and the French Alpha simply nodded, so Adnan stood still but didn't release any pressure. 

"Something you'd like to admit?" Francis asked, calmly. "Maybe you'd like to hand something over before it's taken from you without a chance to explain yourself."

"Fine, just let me go."

Francis tutted, then used a severe tone. "You lost your right to demand anything when you decided to lie in the first place. which pocket is it in?"

The man sighed shakily in fear. Francis felt sorry for him, and wanted to take pity, but couldn't do that right now. He had to do what he was sent here to do. "Top left."

"If you would, Adnan." Francis said to the officer pinning the man, who took the phone out of the man's pocket and gave it to Francis. "You can let him go now." He said, smiling at the man once he'd been let go. He knew now that Francis was a hundred percent in control of the actions that were going to take place in this room. "What's on it?" He asked, resuming his calm tone. The man remained silent. "You can either tell me of your own volition, or I can have someone retrieve the data and you'll have no chance for me to hear your side of the story. If that's what you want-"

"It's codes." The man blurted out, looking down at the carpet so he didn't have to face his act of cowardice head on.

"Elaborate."

"For the new programme we're creating."

"Who are you sending them to?"

"Any company that's paying. I have a life to fund!" He tried to argue, at which Francis simply raised an eyebrow.

"And your co-workers don't? We're supposed to be a family here. Every little bit of information you sell undermines them and the hard work they do, do you understand that?"

"I just-"

"I don't want to hear it." Francis pocketed the phone then turned to Natalia. "May I have a word outside?"

Natalia was looking at him with approval. "Of course."

As soon as they stepped outside she got into Francis' personal space. "That was hot." She said, looking him up and down.

Francis elected to ignore that. "What's the protocol for this? Do we call the police?"

"Well, they are the best course of action for thieves. So, I suppose, yes."

"Right." 

"I told Ivan about this on my way here. He wants to see you in his office. I'll take care of it." She winked, holding gout her hand for the phone, which Francis gave her. 

"Thank you." He said, trying to avoid breathing in her scent as much as possible. She was certainly walking the thin line between workplace-appropriate flirtation and sexual harassment. 

"There's plenty more where that came from." Then she just took the phone back into the room with her and left Francis to walk to the elevator to Ivan's office. On his way, he couldn't help but have pride in his ability. It was half luck, of course, that there had been a recent leak, but _he_ was the one who found it. Hopefully, he would be allowed to work separate from Natalia if he asked nicely now that he had proven himself. 

He knocked on the familiar office door before entering and standing in front of Ivan's desk in an imitation of their meeting earlier. "You asked to see me."

"Yes. We've been looking for the source of that data leak for quite some time. It seems your ability was not exaggerated in your application to this job." Ivan set his hands on his desk and looked at Francis intensely. "How did you deal with the scumbag?"

"Took the phone from him forcefully and had him confess through necessary means."

Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Necessary means?" He repeated.

"Yes. He was not willing to give up the information initially." 

Ivan gave Francis an impressed expression. "This is some excellent work for your first day. Natalia seems to think so, too." Francis tried to think of a way to ask how to do the work on his own without seeming suspicious before Ivan added on, "I know she can be intense, but she's very protective of her family, has been since we were children."

"So Natalia is your..."

"Sister, yes." Ivan confirmed, and Francis felt the hope of warding her away fade inside him. He couldn't risk offending Ivan. "She is one of two people I would trust with my life, the other being my sister Irnya who works downstairs." Francis heard the _no-one I'm not related to_ that undertoned Ivan's words. How was he supposed to do this if trust was not even a remote possibility between the two?

"I've met her too. Very sweet woman."

Ivan nodded in agreement and went to say something else before the phone on his desk beeped and he held a hand up to Francis to indicate he should wait while he picked it up. There was a quick, "I'll be down right away," and then he hung up the phone. "It seems the police have arrived to take away the thief. Let's go and greet them." Then he was up and walking out of the door with a quick stride, expecting Francis to run after him, which he did like an eager dog.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I think you made a good choice, Arty." Alfred said as Arthur finished off the paperwork for his new car. Alfred had spent the last hour giving Arthur a _very_ thorough tour of every car in the place, putting the salesmen to shame. He was glad, actually, because he'd have ended up getting something broken down and cheap had the American not been there to tell him _absolutely everything there was to know about cars_.

"I didn't choose it, you did. I'd have gone for the red car out front."

"That monstrosity? You're lucky I found you when I did, we avoided a real tragedy there." 

"Oh, good. Another drama queen to keep Francis company." Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"We can't help having superior style, you know." Alfred said with a smug smile and Arthur was about to retort when the radio on Alfred's shoulder went off, spewing out some numbers along with the words, _alleged theft,_ and an address that seemed familiar to Arthur but he didn't know why. "I'll take that." Alfred said into the radio, then turned towards the salesman. "Hey, do you do deliveries?"

"Free deliveries, Sir. Included with the cost."

"Excellent." He slammed his hand down on the desk between him and the sales associate. "Have this car delivered to my friend's house, the address is in the paperwork." Then he turned to Arthur and grabbed his arm, hauling him up.

"I think this is called kidnapping."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun! You'll have a cool story to tell Francis when he comes home."

"I'm sure he'd love to hear how I went driving with our neighbour. Very exciting."

"Better than _today I got us a busted convertible with chipped paint and some flowers_ , believe me." 

"You're a nuisance." Arthur complained but got into the car with Alfred anyway. 

"Maybe that's why we get along so well. I fill in the empty part in you where fun is supposed to be."

Arthur shook his head but huffed a laugh. "Where are we going anyway?"

"It's this big place just off the city centre, about 10 minutes drive away."

"There was no-one closer?"

Alfred sighed in a dramatic fashion befitting himself. "You take the joy out of everything, do you know that? You're like a sponge and I'm a puddle of happiness. It's just a theft. The guy's being detained already we're just going to pick him up and take him to the station. This place does this all the time, it's fine. I'll keep you safe, if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not worried about anything but you making me miss the plant shop while it's still open."

Alfred laughed, despite Arthur's crankiness, and the Omega smiled despite himself, It was rare to find someone who understood that Arthur's gruff personality wasn't actually anger, it was just the way he was. And, he had to admit, Alfred's non-stop chatter did make up for his reluctance to indulge in small talk. "The plants will still be there tomorrow, I promise."

"Well, if you say so." 

"I do, and my word is law, so." Alfred shrugged.

"I don't think that's true-" Arthur started to protest but Alfred just turned up the radio and sang along loudly and obnoxiously over Arthur so he couldn't be contradicted. Arthur narrowed his eyes at the other man, who reminded him of his brothers when they got along. Alfred kept up the singing right until they pulled up outside the building and Arthur was glad because he could feel himself on the verge of snapping. He now knew how Francis had felt yesterday, and felt a deep sympathy for his fake husband. "Come on." Alfred said, and then they were both out of the car. Arthur looked up at the building before him with wide eyes. The huge inscription of Braginsky Technologies at the front made his heart skip a beat. Turns out Alfred was more useful than he thought. "Dude, we need to go inside." Alfred waved a hand in front of Arthur's face then to get his attention and motioned for him to follow as he walked in.

"Jones." A loud, deep voice shouted, belonging to none other than Ivan Braginsky as he stood at reception, seemingly waiting on Alfred. "I want you to meet my new head of security, the one who caught our little thief." Ivan then nodded his head in the direction he started walking in, meaning Alfred should follow. He never gave Arthur so much as a second thought, only one full body glance and a smirk that was brief and uncomfortable for the Omega. They were led to a room by the enormous Russian Alpha, when he said- "Jones, this is-"

"Francis." Arthur supplied, smiling as if he was really glad to see the other man. Truth be told, he longed for the calm tones of the Frenchman after being forced through the high out-of-tune singing of the American.

"Arthur?" He looked back at the Omega with nothing but confusion, then seemed to remember himself and smiled back. "What are you doing here, mon coeur?" He added the pet-name as if was automatic. _Good little tactic,_ Arthur thought.

"He's with me. How cool is this?" Alfred said, bringing the attention away from the fake couple. He turned to Ivan. "These two just moved in next door to me, so if you need a character reference just say." Alfred said with a small laugh. 

"Actually Francis has proven himself already. He caught this man single-handedly." Natalia cleared her throat in annoyance. "Well, with some assistance from Natalia."

"We make quite the team, don't we?" She looked at Francis with a smirk, who just nodded his head back.

Arthur looked between them with narrowed eyes. Was she seriously _flirting_ right now? In front of him? He didn't know if it was his hormones slowly creeping up on him now it was the first afternoon without his pills, but he felt very affronted. "He is quite amicable." Arthur agreed, once again inserting his voice into the room. "It's why I married him." Natalia looked at him then with a somewhat annoyed expression, while Francis gave him a shocked one. Ivan must have been able to see the look she wore as he brought the attention back to the matter at hand. 

"The thief has been stealing and selling very important information from the company so I'd be eternally grateful if you took him somewhere secure while we decide what charges to press."

"Alrighty." Alfred said, going to the man and forcing him to stand up while he put cuffs on him. "Is that all?" He looked around at the tense atmosphere, completely oblivious. 

"That's all." Ivan said.

"Sweet! Me and Arty will be on our way then." He walked towards the door with the man in cuffs then waved a goodbye before turning to Francis in particular, "see you at dinner tonight, Fran."

"See you there." Francis agreed. 

"You're having dinner and didn't invite me?" Natalia asked, pouting slightly at Francis.

"Come along." Arthur said, much, again, to everyone's surprise. "I insist." He smiled at her in a disingenuous way, challenging her. From across the room Ivan smiled at the Omega. It was rare that there was someone willing to challenge his sister so openly and in her direct gaze. It was quite refreshing. He could certainly see why Francis had married the man.

Natalia turned to him again with a scowl that was quickly replaced by a sickly sweet smile. "I'd love to. I'll even bring a plus one." She then waved her hand in a shoo gesture at him. "Now, don't you have somewhere you need to be? A ride-along perhaps?" She asked, having gotten the upper hand by calling Arthur pretty much useless.

Arthur wanted to retort but knew he'd already stepped a line in front of Ivan as this woman was clearly an important staff member. The best he could do was huff a laugh and make an amused face as if he knew a joke that she didn't before turning to Francis and saying, "I'll see you when you get home, love." Then he simply turned on his heel and left, followed by Alfred and leaving the other three staring at the door. 

"So _that's_ Arthur?" Ivan asked.

Francis nodded. "That's Arthur." To his surprise, Ivan clapped him on the back and gave him a short laugh.

"I like him."

Natalia scoffed. "You _would_." 

Arthur was sitting in the passenger side of the car while Alfred put the arrested man in the back then joined him. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Alfred just started to laugh. 

"What's so funny?"

Alfred shook his head and started the car. "Did you see the look on her face?"

Arthur grinned. "I did."

Alfred pulled away on course for the station. "Where have you been hiding that? Man, you've been so docile all day I didn't think you had it in you to be possessive. She looked like she was five seconds away from launching herself across the room and cutting you up. I've never seen anyone talk to her like that before. Very sexy of you, Arty."

"You've met her multiple times?"

"A few." Alfred shrugged. "She's always there when I've gone to pick some poor bastard up for pissing them off. I find her a little scary myself."

"You? I didn't think you knew what fear was."

"Well, I don't really find her scary. She's just got a creepy vibe, I mean she's the reason the last one got fired I heard." Alfred gossiped.

Arthur looked at him with surprise. "How did you hear that?"

"Well, me and Matty get invited to these big parties he throws for marketing. You and Francis will probably have to go them now too. There's one this Saturday if memory serves."

"Why would he need you two at a marketing event?" Arthur asked, deciding it would be the last question lest his inquisition give him away.

"Matty's the one who really gets the invites. It makes him look like a real team-player because he's the biggest contributor to the clinic."

Arthur felt his face drop. "Oh."

"Hey, you alright?" Alfred asked, and Arthur nodded, looking out he window. 

"I'm fine. Just thinking about what I'm going to wear to dinner." He lied, receiving suggestions from Alfred in return and completely turning way from the topic of Ivan. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arthur had spent the rest of the day in relative peace. Alfred had dropped him off at the flower store before taking the perp to the station and spending the rest of his shift there. This meant that after Arthur had gathered the flowers he wanted he'd made his way home in a cab, smiling as he saw the new car Alfred had pressured him into getting in the driveway. He'd then spent the rest of the afternoon planting the flowers he'd gotten in the front and back garden. It had been tiring work, but he'd managed and when he was in the front he'd managed to make small talk with four of the neighbours that passed by. When he was finished planting he went inside and it wasn't even a minute after he'd entered through the back door that Francis came in through the front door. Was it past 6.30 already? He hadn't even noticed.

"Hello-"

"Are you out of your mind?" Francis asked as he put the hat he was forced to wear on the hat stand next to the doorway. 

"Excuse me?" Arthur replied, as he finished drying his hands on a towel after cleaning the mud off. 

"You really pissed off Natalia. She's dangerous, Arthur."

"She was all over you. What was I supposed to do? Lay you out like a buffet and say _have at it?_ " Arthur crossed his arms, annoyed at the accusing tone Francis had taken.

"She Ivan's sister. You make her hate us, you make him hate us."

Arthur paused for a second, understanding making itself known in his consciousness like an unwanted house-guest. "He didn't seem to have anything to say. Besides, how was I supposed to know that? It wasn't in his file."

Francis just sighed. Truth be told, he was glad to be back in the presence of the grumpy Englishman after a day with Natalia clinging to him like a limpet. "You couldn't have known. It's deliberate people don't know at first, I think. His sisters are the only ones he trusts."

"Right." Arthur replied. "A productive day, then?"

"Quite. What about you?" Francis asked, standing in front of him now as he made a cup of coffee.

"It went really well, actually. I managed to buy us a car and decorate the garden a little." Arthur left a gap for Francis to add any information he'd found and when he didn't he added. "He also told me about the marketing event going on Saturday evening."

"What marketing event?"

"Haven't been invited then?" Francis just gave him a look, so Arthur carried on. "Don't fret, darling, I haven't either. Apparently Braginski holds events for members of the neighbourhood to attend at his house to make his company seem favourable. He invites Matthew because he provides the biggest funding to the clinic."

"Ah. Well I'm sure we'll be invited soon."

"I'm sure." There was a gap between them again, then Arthur asked what he'd been waiting to ask since earlier. "What's up with that Natalia woman anyway?"

Francis turned to him and smirked. "I didn't take you for the possessive type, Arthur."

"Oh for God's sake"

"Don't take offence, I liked it." Francis winked at him and he simply raised an eyebrow in return. "Well, she's attracted me, certainly, but beyond that I do not know her game." He seemed to remember something then, and turned to Arthur with an annoyed face. "Maybe we'll find out tonight when _she comes to dinner._ "

"I won't apologise for that. I was making sure she knew I was assured in our relationship. If I'd have said nothing and let her flirt with you shamelessly in front of me we'd make a rather weak couple, don't you think?" Arthur retorted, feeling annoyance tickle at the back of his mind. 

"I hadn't thought of it that way."

"She did, believe me." Arthur sat at one of the stools at the kitchen counter. "Wait. If you didn't think of it in that way , what way did you think of it in?"

Francis choked on a sip of coffee and went a little red in the face. "I just thought you were asserting dominance. It is your way."

"Then why are you so embarrassed?" Arthur asked, automatically deflecting Francis' lie. "You thought I was jealous. That's why you liked it.'

"Don't be so ridiculous." Francis said while struggling to maintain eye-contact with the Omega.

"No, I'm right." Arthur smiled. 

"Fuck you." Francis said impulsively, and Arthur's smile dropped.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't have to make fun of me all the time." He poured his coffee down the sink then, and opened the fridge. "What were you planning on serving at your _strategic dinner_?"

Arthur slowly slipped from the island chair and walked to Francis, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. "Francis, I didn't mean-"

"Forget about it." He shook Arthur's hand from his shoulder as he continued to stare into the fridge as if it contained the secrets of the universe. 

"I'm sorry if-"

"I said forget about it," Francis repeated, turning and facing Arthur with a look of annoyance, "what part of that don't you understand?" 

Arthur felt the small tickle of annoyance burst into flames of anger. "Don't you dare talk to me like that." Francis was radiating anger back at Arthur, and his scent was palpable. Any other Omega would have given in and curled in on themselves. But then, he wasn't any other Omega, and Francis wasn't his mate, so the effects of him weren't as intense. He knew it was his hormones returning but he couldn't the sudden spike of emotions. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" He thought about starting insults but then suddenly decided against it as a wave of upset seemed to put on the fire in him. He hated being hormonal, it made him seem so pathetic. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings." Then he turned around and walked to the staircase.

Francis visibly deflated. "Arthur-"

"Forget about it." He mimicked Francis's words. "I can't cook, so I don't _know_ what to do about dinner."

"I'll cook." Francis said. 

Arthur nodded and was about to go upstairs when he remembered something his Sire had said to him long ago. _You always run, and that's why no-one will ever respect you. Not because you're an Omega, but because you're weak._ So instead he turned around and faced Francis. "Let me help."

"Are you sure?" Francis asked, tentatively, and a little guilty. 

"Yes. Four hands are better than two and all that."

"Alright." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Please calm down you're making _me_ nervous." Gilbert said with a laugh on the phone to Antonio. He'd been vibrating with nerves all day. 

"This was a terrible idea, Gil."

"And what was the alternative?" The German Alpha put his feet up on his brother's coffee table. "Pine hopelessly forever?"

"Exactly!"

"You're ridiculous." Ludwig came in as he said that and pushed his feet from the table with a disapproving look. "Look, Toni, I have to go. Tell me all about it after, okay?"

"What, no! Gil-" Antonio shouted but then Gilbert ended the call and turned his attention to his brother. 

"Antonio is taking Lovino out tonight."

"Finally." Ludwig said. "It was starting to get a little sad watching them stare at each other all day."

Gilbert laughed. "You got that right. It didn't stop there, either, he talks about him all the time at home too."

"How irritating." Ludwig said, turning the tv channel over to the football game, as was tradition. They were only 15 minutes in when he paused the show though and looked at Giblert. "What?"

"What?"

"You've been glancing at me intermittently for fifteen minutes, what is it you want to say?"

"Damn, you're good." 

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "The longer you stall the longer this eats away at you."

"Fine." Gilbert sat up properly and gave his brother a serious expression. "Why didn't me and Toni go into witness protection?"

"What?"

"Well, Francis did, and he lives with us, so we should be just as at risk."

Ludwig ran a hand over his tired face. "The criminal after Bonnefoy isn't after you. There would be no reason for them to be."

"That's not true." Gilbert argued defensively. "We're the most important people in his life. His best friends! If anyone wanted to really get to him they'd _have_ to get to us."

Ludwig sighed. "You're over-thinking it, Gilbert. I know you're worried but you shouldn't be he's completely safe." 

That's exactly the answer that Gilbert wanted, and the one he wanted desperately to give to Antonio. Unfortunately though, he knew when his little brother was lying. It was insulting to Gilbert that Ludwig thought him so ignorant after they'd grown up together. More so than that though, it concerned him. Gilbert and Ludwig told each other everything, that's what this weekly dinner was for. There wasn't a single embarrassing, scary, funny, sad, happy or memorable thing that happened in either of their lives that they didn't discuss over a few beers and the game. "How can you be so sure?"

"I know where he is." _That wasn't a lie at least,_ Gilbert thought. "And no, I won't tell you where. It's for his own safety, Gilbert."

"Right." Gilbert accepted that his brother wan't going to tell him the truth. "You know, I think I might have left the stove on at home."

"Are you joking?" Ludwig asked, unable to keep up with his brother's references to modern culture and therefore being immune to most of his 'jokes'.

"No, I've just got this real sinking feeling. Can we re-arrange this?"

"Of course."

Gilbert got up then and hurried out with a quick goodbye, then called Antonio through the speaker when he was in his car on his way back home. It went to voicemail, predictably. "Toni, you were right. I don't know where Francis is but he certainly isn't in witness protection. We need to do some serious investigation tomorrow." Then he ended the voicemail and carried on driving. _We'll find you, Francis_ , he thought. He couldn't believe Antonio was actually right in his over-protective nature for once. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow that was for sure. Now, he needed to get back and to the flat to calm down and get some rest. There was nothing he could do without access to the precinct data and certainly nothing he could do but make Ludwig suspicious of him if he stayed there. He and Toni would figure it out, he was certain.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stop!" Arthur complained as Francis dotted some flour on his nose as they were cleaning up. They'd managed in the past two hours to make a whole main course of coq au vin, just the vegetables in for Arthur, and a desert of blueberry pie.

"Non, you look adorable!"

"Behave!" Arthur wiped the flour off his nose and ducked before Francis could do it again, then took the flour from him and put a big handprint on Francis' cheek. "Ah, an improvement, really."

Francis put a hand over his chest in mock offence. "What happened to that famous British charm?"

"That went out the window with that famous French competence." Arthur laughed, and leaned over to put the excess flour in the bin but slipped on an egg he had dropped earlier and vowed to clean up. In a desperate bid to not fall, however, he grabbed on to Francis who came tumbling down with him instead, ever graceful. They both laughed, Arthur in a way he genuinely hadn't laughed in what felt like years. 

"You have a nice laugh." Francis commented.

"You too." Arthur said out of common courtesy, but the response forced him to look at Francis as he made it, which made them both realise that Francis was still actually lying on top of him, held up only by his forearms on either side of Arthur's head. Up close, Francis was even more attractive that Arthur had first thought. His skin looked soft, his eyes were piercing and the small patch of facial hair really complimented his facial structure. From above, Francis was thinking about how equally attractive Arthur was up-close. He had faint freckles over his cheeks and nose that were tinged a rosy red from a day out in the sun, and his lips were an adorable light shade of pink. The atmosphere changed, and neither of them felt like they could, nor wanted, to move. Arthur blamed his hormones coming in, and Francis blamed Natalia throwing arousal at him all day, but both of them leaned towards each-other before there was the loud sound of the front door opening. 

"Hey, guys! I brought wine-ew! Matty close your eyes!" 

Both of them hopped up, bright red with embarrassment. "You could have knocked!" Arthur said.

"I wasn't expecting you to be having sex in the kitchen where you're making our dinner!" Alfred retorted.

"We were not making love, don't worry." Francis said, and both Arthur and Alfred recoiled at the term, making Matthew laugh. 

"It's none of our business." The young man said. "We can go and come back later if you'd like?"

"Not at all." Arthur said, smiling at the other Omega. "We do have to go and get changed though, so if you wouldn't mind entertaining yourselves for just ten minutes we'd greatly appreciate it. The dining room is through there." Arthur pointed towards the room and ran upstairs, trying to escape the mortification.

"Please excuse our terrible hosting skills, gentlemen." Francis said.

"Don't worry, we understand." Matthew said, smiling at Francis knowingly. It was almost as though he knew something that Francis didn't know, the way he'd said that. _Odd._

"Thank you so much. There's wine glasses in the liquor cabinet." Then he was up the stairs after Arthur, letting the other men come in and make themselves at home. When he walked in to the bedroom Arthur was pacing but stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw him. He wanted to say say something but didn't know what and neither did Arthur apparently so they both just let out barely suppressed bursts of laughter.

"Trust us to get caught in such a compromising position." Arthur said. "What are the odds?"

"Not slim enough." Francis replied. "Come on, we need to get back downstairs lets put some new flour-less clothes on." They did that, changing in separate rooms and using wipes to get the flour off before retuning downstairs, Francis in a casual trousers and blazer and Arthur in khakis and a nice jumper. 

"So sorry about all that." Arthur said, taking a seat beside Matthew while Francis took a seat beside Alfred so that they were sat in a nice square. Small talk between the four of them lasted an hour and a half before there was a knock on the front door. Arthur decided it would be best for him to open the door, having invited the other guest, and was surprised at what greeted him when he did so. He had invited Natalia, of course, but he hadn't expected her plus one to be her brother. This could go horribly wrong. "Welcome to our home." He greeted, stepping aside to let them in. Natalia, dressed in a fitted black dress with her hair up, nodded and sped past him get a seat next to Francis but Ivan was much more controlled and slow.

"I apologise for my sister, she can be a little _enthusiastic_." He said that as he looked Arthur up and down. The Omega simply grinned when Ivan's eyes finally reached his own.

"Francis does tend to have that effect on people." Arthur shut the front door then turned back to the dining room, Ivan following close behind. When they got to the table they sat together, Arthur in the middle between Matthew and Ivan as Francis was surrounded by Alfred and Natalia. Conversation started amongst the group with welcomes and greetings. 

"You have a lovely home." Natalia told Francis as she leaned forward on the table, crossing her arms underneath her and pushing out her cleavage. Francis turned to thank her and couldn't help glancing downwards and felt immediate shame. He'd simply meant to avoid eye-contact by looking at the table but had fallen into her trap and ended up looking straight into her eyes anyway so as not to look anywhere else. Arthur noticed this and raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, not wanting to appear rude as Matthew was telling him about his day. 

Ivan was quiet and reserved next to him, and Arthur felt a little awkward about it so when Matthew had finished his story about a deer he'd seen on his way home from work he turned towards the large Russian Alpha, leaving Matthew and Alfred to talk amongst themselves as Natalia discussed her and Francis' work-day at length so as to make Arthur feel un-included. "Thank you, Mr Braginski, for giving Francis a chance."

"He's certainly proven himself."

"I'm sure."

"What about you?" Ivan asked, taking Arthur by surprise.

"What about me?"

"You are all alone all day. Do you not get bored?"

"Terribly." Arthur replied, taking a sip of the wine Alfred had poured for everybody. "But, everybody has their cross to bear. I'm sure I'll survive."

Ivan nodded at that, looking at Arthur with curiosity. "You don't seem like the type to take care of the home."

"Truth be told I do miss my job as an assistant greatly, but I have more important things in my life now. Plus it's not so bad. I can't imagine today will be the last time I'm accosted by the friendly neighbourhood sheriff." 

"See, I told you It would be a fun story!" Alfred interjected. "You enjoyed today I know you did! Speaking of- Francis, did you see the new car?"

The French Alpha seemed grateful for the opportunity to break conversation with Natalia who was leaning in towards him. "Oui, your doing is it?" 

"Actually Arthur picked it out!"

"Don't be humble Alfred, it doesn't suit you." Arthur said, grinning at the guffaw produced by the American. "The only reason we have a car that works is because Alfred told me everything I needed to know." Then the American smiled proudly.

"Al's loved cars since we were kids so there's no surprise there." Matthew added.

"Well I like it no matter who chose it." Francis said. "It's perfect just like my Arthur." The frenchman then winked at his fake mate, making Arthur roll his eyes fondly. Alfred gagged.

"You guys are disgusting. Where is this dinner, anyway? I skipped my afternoon peanuts for this."

Francis laughed, jumping up at the mention before Arthur had a chance to, glad to get away from Natalia, whose hand had been curled around the back of his chair. "I'll go and get it."

"Do you want help?" Arthur asked.

"No, amour. I can handle it." Francis said, then brought out the coq au vin, which went down a treat and in mostly silence, other than Alfred making clear his surprise that Arthur was a vegetarian. It was quickly followed by desert which was served by Arthur, and then when the plates were cleared there was more wine brought out that Francis had gotten at the grocery store. 

"So, Ivan, what do you like to do when you're not at work." Arthur asked, words a little more freely flowing with the wine

"Sleep." Arthur snorted in a most undignified way, which made the Russian do a double-take of the small man, chuckling. 

"Makes sense."

"What about you?"

"Gardening at the moment." Ivan nodded at that, believing Arthur because of the light sunburn adorning his face. The Omega actually looked very fetching with it, Ivan thought.

"What have you been planting?" Matthew asked.

Arthur felt his face redden even further at the question, but knew there'd be no point in lying because they could easily check. "Daffodils in the front and lavender in the back. I haven't decided what else to go with yet." He could feel Francis look up at him when he said it, but avoided the other's warm gaze by staring at the table. Luckily, the look didn't last long and his attention was dragged away back to the woman across from him. They were having their own conversation separate from the rest of the group, apparently.

"You know, there's a fundraiser on Saturday at my brother's house. We'll be working security at it." Natalia told the French Alpha.

"That sounds delightful." Francis replied. "Is it a big event?"

"Massive. It's going to be hosted in the garden but the house itself is ginormous. People sneak in all the time." She put a hand on his leg under the table and he had to suppress a jump at the surprise touch. He desperately wanted to alert Arthur but the man was obviously feeling the buzz of the wine opposite. 

"It'll be our job to keep that from happening then, yes?" He asked, swallowing nervously.

Alfred was listening to Ivan talk about some work thing when he felt a slight grab on his arm. He turned to look at Francis then, to find the other man with his full attention on Natalia. Why did he grab _him_ then? He then looked down to Francis' leg to see Natalia attempting to run her hand up Francis' thigh. With slight alarm he widened his eyes at Arthur and kept nodding his head in the direction of Francis' lap but the Englishman simply wasn't being perceptive enough. So, with a rush of genius, he kicked Arthur in the shin, forcing the Omega to let out a little yelp of pain, shocking him out of his tipsiness immediately. Francis then grabbed Arthur's hand from across the table. "Is everything alright?" Alfred smiled smugly to himself as Natalia withdrew her hand, boldness fading with the attention. Ivan had also placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder in concern. 

"Yes." Arthur shot a glare at Alfred, wanting to accuse him but then saw the American's eyes dart to Natalia who was now sat with her arms around herself and her gaze on the table. Whatever had been going on with her, Alfred had certainly put an end to it. "I just got a sharp pain, that's all."

"Do you want me to check over you?" Matthew asked, concerned. 

"No, it's alright."

"Mon amour you should get some rest." Francis said, getting up and walking to where Arthur was seated, putting a hand over his forehead to check his temperature. Arthur batted the hand away.

"Stop worrying, I'm okay."

"It _is_ getting late." Matthew said, looking at the couple with a gentle smile. It was nice, to see an Alpha so caring, and he was starting to understand why Arthur was worried about going into heat for the first time. The symptoms were often far worse than a sharp pain and he could imagine Francis completely losing it seeing Arthur that way based on the way he was reacting now.

"Yeah, I gotta be up tomorrow too. Still a weekday." Alfred added. 

Arthur sighed. Had he not been undercover and striving to advance his career he just knew he would have exploded at being coddled so much, but as it was he had to violently stamp those feelings down and accept the reality he was in. "Alright, fine." Then he turned to their other two guests, revelling in the look of resentment being sent his way by Natalia. There was also a look of fondness on Ivan that he hadn't expected. "I'm terribly sorry for the way things have ended tonight."

"Don't worry." Ivan said, offering Arthur a short but seemingly genuine smile. "I had a good time." Then he got up, followed by his sister and the other two men. 

They said their goodbye's to their neighbours and then were left with Ivan and Natalia. "See you tomorrow, Francis." She said with a wink, then turned to Arthur with a smile. "It was a pleasure." Then she was walking away to the car her and Ivan had driven there in.

"There's a fundraiser at my house on Saturday that Francis will be working." Ivan told Arthur. "I would like to see you there too if you can tear yourself away from your gardening duties."

Arthur was stunned at the unexpected invitation. "I'll be there." Then there was a nod of goodbye and they were alone, closing the door behind them.

"What was that about?" Arthur asked as Francis locked up.

"Well if you weren't so busy flirting with my new boss you'd have noticed his sister's hand travelling to certain places." Francis said, smirking.

"I was _not_ flirting." Arthur insisted. "I was being amiable. Like you said, it would be catastrophic if they hated us and it's not exactly like I had all day to prepare! I had no idea what they were going to be like."

"You did that to yourself. I didn't invite them to our house, remember?"

"I don't think you'll ever let me forget." Arthur chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if I had a bruise in the morning. The man kicks with the same vigour he talks with."

"That kick saved my virtue." Francis said, following Arthur to the kitchen so they could wash the dishes.

Arthur laughed as he took his position at the sink while Francis picked up a tea towel to dry with. "Other than that I think it went rather well, if not a little slow but what can you expect from a dinner with strangers."

"I suppose. Though if you ever invite that woman to dinner again I might have to punish you."

"Oh? And how will you do that?"

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it." Francis said, laughing. "The flowers you chose are nice. Why daffodils? "

Arthur smiled almost absently. "They're my brother Emrys' favourite, and he loves the countryside so I figured it was a safe choice."

"I didn't know you had a brother." Francis said, trying not to pry too much and get pushed away.

"I have three. Alastair is the eldest, Seamus the second, and Emrys the third, just older than me."

Francis nodded, feeling something unusual unfurl inside of him at the genuinely fond expression on Arthur's face. He didn't think Arthur had fond emotions towards anyone. "Do you see them often?" The Alpha saw the contemplation running through Arthur over wether or not he should continue speaking about it but he seemed to decide that Francis wasn't a threat to the knowledge so carried on.

"Seamus owns a bar in the city but I've never been. I haven't spoken to them since I got shipped off to boarding school." _They just let me go there,_ he thought to himself, _no-one fought to keep me around, to keep me safe._ "I haven't spoken to any of my family since then actually. As soon as I was allowed to go I was gone. I bought a ticket to New York the day I graduated and never looked back."

Francis looked at the man before him, proud and abrasive. He couldn't ever imagine him running away from a problem, but he also couldn't imagine how it felt to be so utterly abandoned by those you thought you could trust. "What made you want to be a detective?"

Arthur pursed for a second. "Why are we talking about my life story?" Struck a nerve with that, then. "What about you? Why did _you_ become a detective?"

"My Dam was killed." Francis said freely, knowing that it was easier to blurt it out than to think about it too much. Arthur stopped what he was doing and turned to find Francis looking very vulnerable.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Francis said, continuing his job, prompting Arthur to do the same. "He was beaten by my Sire often. I had no idea, of course. He never had bruises on show or raised his voice or even cried around me. If he did, maybe I could have helped." That explained a lot, Arthur thought. He wanted to comfort the other man but didn't know how. "He left one morning, to see a friend, and was hit by a car. He died instantly and the car just drove away." He was reciting now, as if he were reading off a teleprompter. The memory clearly haunted him. "My Sire didn't care, not really. He just used me as a replacement punching bag but the officer in charge of the case cared. He checked in often and asked if I was alright and like a good son I said yes, but he didn't buy it. He caught the guy that did it, had him put in prison and then did the same to my Sire. Turns out he'd been gathering evidence on him because my Dam's-" He paused, swallowing over the lump that had caught in his throat, "my Dam's body had bruises that weren't from the collision. I moved in with an aunt after that and haven't wanted to be anything but a detective since. If I could do for someone half of what that man did for me it would be worth it." Francis felt a his eyes start to sting, still hating reliving the memory and went to wipe at his eyes before he was enveloped in a tight, protective hug. With Arthur not looking at him, he felt the tears fall down his cheeks and into the sandy hair under his chin as he hugged Arthur back. 

"You're a good man, Francis." Arthur said into Francis' chest, then pulled back and swiped his thumbs over Francis' cheeks to get rid of the tears. "He would be so proud of you."

"Thank you, Arthur." The Alpha smiled sadly, then laughed through the tears. "Look at me, I'm a mess."

"You're not a mess, trust me." Arthur assured, putting a hand against Francis' chest over his heart. "You're brave." There was a moment between them, then, where the world seemed to slow down and all they could see, hear and feel was each other. 

"Thank you." Francis said, then took a deep breath and smiled again. "We''d better finish these dishes before they get any worse." Arthur nodded, allowing the Alpha to recover from his vulnerability. Arthur had never been in such an emotionally intimate moment with someone before, and something definitely shifted in his heart.

They washed and dried the rest of the dishes in a comfortable silence, and Francis sat at the island when they were done. Arthur would have joined him but noticed that there was still egg on the floor from earlier. Without even thinking about it he got some furniture wipes and bent down to clean up the mess. From the island Francis' eyes went wide as the material of Arthur's pants stretched around his ass. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from his detective partner. "I think I'm going to go to bed." 

"It has been a long day." Arthur agreed. "I'll meet you up there in a minute." 

Francis nodded then went upstairs to the bathroom, brushing this teeth and splashing cold water in his face. "What has gotten into you?" He whispered to himself. It was like some weird variation of Stockholm Syndrome, the way he'd felt towards Arthur just now. He just needed to shake it off and get his thoughts back to why he was actually here and what was at stake. After that he got changed and got into bed, hoping to avoid anymore conversation with Arthur until tomorrow. 

Downstairs, Arthur had finished the bottle of wine that was left over from dinner, which had only been half a glass but it did the job well enough. Unfortunately, it simultaneously intensified the feeling he'd tried to push down earlier when Alfred had unceremoniously burst in, and then earlier when Francis had declared his distaste for Natalia, a perfectly beautiful Omega that was clearly attracted to him. He felt important, wanted even, but he had to remind himself that it was all fake. _He'd never like someone like you, no-one would._ So he took a minute to himself in the bathroom, trying to force his emotions to bend to his will, which was much harder when he wasn't on his pills. He never felt attracted to or sympathy for someone when he was taking his pills, nor did he feel sad or overly self-deprecative. He was worried that he was going to be suffocated by these feelings in the nest week or so if he felt like this now. It also seemed like it had intensified with the alcohol which was a very bad sign. If he couldn't drink he couldn't sleep, and if he couldn't sleep he'd go insane. He brushed his teeth while mulling over those thoughts then left the bathroom, got changed into his nightclothes and went to bed.

As he slipped into the warm covers he listened to Francis' uneven breathing that told him the Alpha was still awake. For some reason while he was in the dark, surrounded by warmth and the faint smell of Francis, he found the courage to speak in a very quiet voice. "I only had one friend at boarding school." He shifted with discomfort, realising he was about to share information he hadn't shared with anyone before. He was encouraged, though, by the fact that Francis had chosen to lay himself bare in front of him first. It was only fair. "He was in most of my classes and was one of the Omegas in my dorm room. We used to smoke in the garden on a night after curfew every Friday night and drink if we could get our hands on it. One night near the end of my final year I went to meet him on a Friday night as usual, except he had other plans than smoking. He'd already drank whatever alcohol he'd found and when he turned up I could smell it on him. _"You're very attractive, you know?"_ He'd said. _"Do you think I'm attractive, Arthur?"_ " He felt hot tears breaching his eyees but didn't bother stopping them, knowing they couldn't be seen in the darkness anyway. "He'd said we were both eighteen and had to get some practise in before we went out into the world. I said no, and that made him angry, so he pushed me down onto the ground and laid on top of me." He heard Francis take a shark intake of breath. "I pushed him off and said he was insane, but he kept dragging me back down and trying to force me to kiss him so I ended up biting his lip and running back to the building. I'd never felt so out of control as that. I told the security team the next morning and they laughed at me. "An _Omega_ tried to attack you?" they asked, and dismissed me, so I went to one of the phones and called the police. There was _one_ police officer that took me seriously, an Omega himself, and the only one that believed what I'd said and ended up putting him away." He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd sucked in after he'd finished speaking and was starting to feel himself falling into his own despair when the bed dipped behind him and strong arms enveloped him. Protecting him from himself.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Francis said. 

"If it wasn't for that Omega, god knows what would have happened to someone else." Arthur insisted.

"He was a good officer." Francis agreed. He knew, though, that it went deeper than that for Arthur. Had it been a random person it wouldn't have influenced him so much, but since it had been his friend, it had been so much worse. He was surprised Arthur trusted him enough to say anything at all, but felt honoured in that trust. "And your friend was a bad person."

"He was." Arthur agreed, more comforted than he'd like to admit in Francis' arms, the Alpha's scent and tone making him calm down. He knew it wouldn't last forever, but he also knew that he would be a self-destructive idiot to deny himself the comfort being offered to him by Francis, so he shot down the idea of pushing the other man away. For the first time since the very moment it happened, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders, felt himself being freed from the memory, if only temporarily. He hoped, in the back of his mind, that when this was all over he and Francis would remain close. And with that, he slowly let tiredness take over him, slipping into sleep followed by Francis.


	4. Memories

Warmth painted Francis' chest as he woke up. It was the kind of comfortable warmth that beckoned it's subject to stay there forever, shielded from the bitter cold of the world. It took him a second to realise that he was actually awake, and that the body in his arms wasn't a figure he'd dreamed that fit perfectly against his own. He might have taken longer to realise, had he not been assaulted by short, wavy hairs tickling his face. Even then, his natural instinct was to nestle his face further into the back of Arthur's neck, only stopping when he was caught off guard by a very subtle scent, which woke him up out of his tired stupor. The scent of a fresh ocean breeze and newly cut grass accompanied the soft wisps of hair at the base of Arthur' neck. Francis considered that their boss had provided Arthur with some sort of designer perfume to cover up the lack of scent the Omega seemed to have, but then he figured that it would have faded to nothing overnight if that had been the case, because he hadn't left the bed all night. If he had, Francis would have noticed. It must be _Arthur's_ scent then, but how was that possible? He started to think he'd imagined it, the scent being an accompaniment to his previous dream, whatever that had been. He didn't dare go in for a second smell, worrying about invading the other's privacy without his knowledge and waking him up. He decided in the end that it must have been a figment of his imagination as he slowly slipped his left arm from under Arthur and pulled the covers up to his shoulders to replace his warmth. Taking a second to look at the other man as he sat up, he felt his heart constrict a little. The Omega's face looked peaceful, his faint freckles apparent in the morning light. If you didn't look so closely you'd miss them entirely they were that faint, _much like many of the finer details about him_ , Francis thought. He wondered how many secrets were hidden under the constellations on his skin. Certainly it would take a lifetime to find them all.

When he got up he made sure to be slow so as not to wake his bed partner. Something told him it was one of the few peaceful moments Arthur truly experienced in his everyday life. He reached the shower feeling oddly more relaxed than usual. At this point in his morning routine he was usually wide awake and ready to experience the new day ahead, but for some reason the primary thought on his head was how he could lay in that bed for hours. As the water from the shower steamed up the room he even found his eyes drifting closed every now again, tempting him to return to sleep. His skin had become damp and warm with condensation as he waited for the water to heat and when he stepped in he was grateful for the new blanket of warmth encasing his body, though not to the same degree. He closed his eyes against the tired burn and tried to imagine the waterfall he usually took himself to, but found the scene of a beach surrounding him instead, all of his consciousness drifting towards the memory of that scent from earlier.

It had been so fleeting, but so incomparably divine. He tried his hardest to replicate the scent in his memory but he couldn't and it left a gap in his mind that he desperately wanted to be filled. Despite his inability to replicate it though, he felt himself harden under the vague memory of it. It must have been a good dream, whatever it had been that produced it. It had been a full week since he'd been intimate with himself, and he was starting to regret having not taken time to appreciate himself in that way before he got assigned to the case, not that he'd have known of course. He could feel heat prickling just under his skin now, his pulse quickening. He had to suppress a moan at the familiar feeling. Instead of indulging himself, remembering the position he was in yesterday, he unenthusiastically reached for the heat controls and turned the water to cold, wincing as the freezing droplets felt like little bullets against his skin. That's how he spent the rest of his shower, as quick as it was. By the time he stepped out it was safe to say he was wide awake and certainly _not_ turned on. Shivering, he walked back into the bedroom to find Arthur gone. So, with speedy movements he dressed himself up in his uniform to escape any eager breezes and did his hair. 

The smell of coffee greeted him at the bottom of the stairs. "Morning." Arthur said, still wearing his night clothes as he sat on their couch watching the local news and cradling his tea. There was a cup of coffee on the coffee table that Francis had been given the earlier morning, so he took that and stood behind Arthur, watching a far-too-cheery reporter telling them about the weather forecast for today. 

"Sleep well?" Francis asked as he sipped his coffee, thankful more than he was willing to admit for the hot liquid.

"Like the dead." Arthur replied, groggy and emotionless. Francis wondered if he remembered falling asleep in his arms, but he knew the answer was probably not. If he did, he was certainly not going to bring it up. "You?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Good." Arthur smiled at him in that way he did where he didn't really feel it but he knew it was the right interval to smile in a normal conversation. "What are you going to do today?" His attention had been pulled from the television to Francis now with his body fully twisted towards him.

"Ivan has a personal laptop in his office, so I figured I'd start there if I get the opportunity. But if I don't it'll be more getting him to trust me I'm afraid." Francis replied, shrugging.

"Sounds fun." Arthur said in a tone that suggested it would _not_ , in fact, be fun.

"What about you?" 

"I was thinking of faking cramps and going to the clinic. There must be some link that explains why he's their biggest sponsor." 

Francis nodded his head. "Clever." He complimented, earning him a tut from the Englishman.

"Hardly. It's just common sense. I see no other way I could help from a distance."

"It's still a clever idea." Francis insisted, then walked to the kitchen as he drank the rest of his coffee and rinsed out the cup.

"If you say so." Arthur said, turning his attention back to the news.

"Well I wish you look, Cher." Francis said, meaning it. After hearing Arthur admit his story to him, he couldn't help but want to see Arthur succeed. "Do you have the keys to the car?"

"They're hanging up with your fashion statement of a hat." Arthur said, smirking to himself as Francis scowled. He hated the way that hat flattened his hair down.

"I'll see you tonight." He said as he picked up the keys.

"I'll be counting down the seconds." Arthur said, still looking at the screen. 

As the door closed behind him Francis smiled, liking how smooth their conversations had become. He'd expected the whole experience to be disjointed arguing, and to be fair a lot of it was, but when it wasn't it was almost like he was talking to an old friend. He kept that smile all the way to work in the new car that was perfectly modern and more stylish than any car he'd dare have parked in the lot to his apartment building in New York. Alfred had good taste it turned out. All in all it was fixing up to be a good day as he walked into work and to his office. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Name, Sir?" The receptionist at the clinic asked, with the most bubbly customer service voice he could muster.

"Arthur."

"Last name?"

"Ki- um- Bonnefoy." The receptionist gave him a suspicious look, so he quickly held up his ring hand. "Recently married." The excuse earned him a nod of understanding and the suspicion quickly disappeared as there was a sound of quick typing. 

"And your doctor is Doctor Williams?"

"That's who I saw when I was last here, so yes, I suppose so."

"Excellent. There'll be a 10 minute wait if that's alright with you?" 

Arthur was actually surprised at the lack of wait for the walk-in hours. At his old doctor's office there was at least an hour wait no matter how early you turned up. "That's fine."

"He'll call you when he's ready." 

Arthur nodded at that and took a seat in the waiting room. He sat so that he was deliberately out of conversation range of everyone else. He folded his hands over his lap and sat with his own thoughts and adjusted the strap on his watch so it wasn't so loose. He'd been in a rush this morning because he'd been eager to actually get some detective work done. It had absolutely nothing to do with nerves, nor the fact that he felt the need to escape from where he'd been emotionally vulnerable for no real reason other than pure indulgence. He felt angry at himself for putting Francis in the situation where he felt he'd needed to comfort Arthur and regret it. He'd woken up to the other man nuzzling his neck, which must have woken Francis up too, and he'd actually found himself smiling to himself at the sensation, forgetting how it felt to wake up to affection, but Francis must have realised it was Arthur he was with and not whoever he was dreaming of, because he'd gotten up and showered to presumably wash the memory of waking up with Arthur from his skin. The Omega had done the same after Francis had left, hoping to clear his mind and forget about it. Francis was clearly content to act like it didn't happen so he would be too. 

"Arthur! Good to see you." Matthew's voice called out, then gestured him over. "Follow me to my office." Arthur did as he was told, then sat in the same place he had when he'd first arrived opposite Matthew at his desk. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I need something to cover up my scent. Anything. It doesn't have to be suppressants."

"Right." Matthew pulled open the drawer in his desk and brought out a thin packet. "Without suppressants I'm afraid this will be the best I can do."

"What is it?"

"Patches. You take them out and stick them over your wrists to overpower the scent glands there, but no such alternative has been made for other areas of the body I'm afraid. The best advice I can give is to find some sort of perfume or cologne, whatever you prefer, though I strongly advise against putting it on your thighs. However, I have to say that these will not prevent your heat, nor will they be likely to keep Francis from scenting you. Since you're mated his body is more finely attuned to yours."

Arthur looked up, his cheeks flushed. "I'm not worried about Francis."

Matthew gave Arthur a sympathetic look. "Arthur, the only way you're going to benefit from coming here is if you're honest with me."

"You're right." Arthur took a deep breath and thought of what he was going to say. "I'm worried he's going to completely over-react. He's never scented me before."

"Do you think he's going to hurt you?" Matthew said, tone serious and quiet. 

"No, never. That's not it at all. I'm worried he's going to-" He paused, not wanting to be so open twice in a row, but then he figured that he was actually hiding behind the mask of his cover-story, and blamed his answer on that. "I'm worried he's not going to see me the same." _He's no longer going to see me as equal_ , Arthur thought, _he's going to view me as lesser._ He couldn't help but think of the fallout that would occur when they got back to work at the precinct, the way everyone would know he was just as sweet-smelling as any other Omega and not some scentless robot that's programmed to do a damn good job. His lack of scent unnerved all of the Alphas he worked with, because it really hammered in that he wasn't gentle or Omega-like in any stereotypical sense and that implied that he was more willing to go to any lengths to get what he wanted. 

"I see. Have you talked to him about it?"

"No." Arthur huffed a laugh. "Did you see how he reacted last night to something so inconsequential? He'd think I was dying."

Matthew smiled with relief that Arthur felt safe, just self-conscious. "The best thing to do would be to find out what he thinks instead of assuming, in that case."

"I suppose you're right." Arthur said, feeling a little unaccomplished and disappointed by his visit, but then he figured he could use his concern for Francis in another way. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Matthew replied.

"Is Ivan a good man? You seem to know him very well and Francis is _very_ loyal so I don't want him to end up getting fired and hurt." 

Matthew gave a slight look of shock that melted away quickly into one of kindness. "He's a very good man, don't worry. If it wasn't for his generosity the clinic wouldn't be where it is today and that's for certain."

"Why does he donate so much to the clinic?" Arthur asked, quite proud of himself for getting the conversation to steer this way. He was usually well-versed in the art of manipulation, but Matthew was trained to detect lies from patients, so Arthur had to be twice as vigilant. Plus, he couldn't threaten jail time for obstruction here, so his options were very scarce.

"I don't think there is any real reason." Matthew said, with a rapidness that suggested he'd definitely asked himself this question before. "I suppose for good public image, plus his sisters are registered here, so that probably plays a part." Thought about it quite a lot, then.

"That does make sense." _Odd, that you don't know_ , Arthur thought as he looked at the other man, but didn't want to pressure him into more answers and seem overbearing. "Thank you for your help, Doctor Williams." He said as he stood up. 

"You know if you ever need to talk I'm right here or even when I'm at home. Just give me a call and we can go through it together." Matthew then jotted down his number on a bit of paper and gave it to Arthur.

"I appreciate that." The Englishman said sincerely.

Matthew stood up to join Arthur. "Do you still want the patches?"

Arthur considered it for a brief moment, then nodded. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all." Matthew handed over a pack of patches that Arthur pocketed, then they headed out together, Matthew wishing him goodbye as he greeted a new patient. 

When Arthur walked outside he set off on his way to the local mall to pick out a cologne that would cover up his scent glands. The walk along was only about 30 minutes and was actually really pleasant. He never walked in the city because he could name a crime that had taken place on almost every block and it didn't exactly make for a peaceful atmosphere, but here it was different. The air was clear, the roads weren't jammed and the people didn't walk directly into you. By the time he'd reached the mall he actually felt refreshed. There were far more people in the mall than in the streets, obviously, but that didn't matter all that much. He headed straight for the fragrance store, and considered the colognes before he remembered that he was supposed to be playing a more traditional role and moved to the perfumes. He hated that the bottles were all beautiful, and he hated even more that he actually liked the look of some of them. He was deciding on a bottle to sample when he felt movement from very close behind him and he turned automatically as the goosebumps from the person's breath hit his neck. When he turned he came face to face with an Alpha that was leaning in very close to him. It took him a second to realise that the reason for that was that the man was leaning in to scent him, and when that realisation hit his blood ran cold. He could feel his legs getting heavy as his body refused to run away. He felt stuck precisely between fight and flight. The last time an Alpha had gotten this close to him and made him feel this way was on the case he never talked about, and he could feel that emotion coming back to him immediately. He could almost hear the deafening ringing of a gunshot as his mind threw him back into that panic, followed by muffled silence. 

The Alpha in front of him grinned as Arthur stood still and the scent of fear subtly made it's way to his nose, but not strong enough to alert anyone else around them due to the fact that his scent hadn't fully revitalised itself yet. The mouth in front of him was moving, and somewhere in his mind Arthur understood he was saying, "you like that, hm?". He tried to shake his head, but he couldn't move, he couldn't even breath. He couldn't let this happen, but he couldn't do a single thing to stop it. It felt like he was stood there for hours while the Alpha put a hand on his arm and moved towards him again. Inside his head he was screaming and his heart felt like it was going to explode.

"Stop." He whispered, and the word sounded pathetic to his ears. He could feel the ghost of warm blood splatter across his face, and taste the copper on his tongue. The familiar sounds of the city were playing in the back of his head. Sirens, shouting, screaming.

Then the Alpha was suddenly out of view, lying on the floor and groaning in pain and Arthur was looking at a new face, inquisitive and deeply concerned. When he realised that he finally took a breath and even that didn't go right. He choked and his throat constricted, making him gasp more than breathe. More people gathered around now and he couldn't make sense of the noise, so he screwed his eyes closed, trying to save himself from assault on all of his senses, then the sound slowly faded too and he felt his muscles start giving up. _Run,_ his mind was shouting at him, but he _couldn't._ The next thing he knew he was moving, but not of his own volition. He vaguely recognised that he was being carried by someone with a uniform but he didn't dare open his eyes to face that reality, far too mortified. When he finally did open his eyes he'd been put down on a couch in a strange room, where there was a mall cop sitting in the corner on her phone. When she noticed him rousing she put it away and looked at him with sympathy. She was a tall and slim Alpha, and probably the one that had carried him. 

"How are you doing?" She asked gently, not wanting to upset him which, ironically, is what made him upset.

"Fine." He had meant to say it with confidence but it came out raspy. Had he been crying? In _public? God, no_.

"Do you think you could tell me what happened?" She asked innocently, and Arthur was certain he'd slipped into the seventh circle of hell. This couldn't be happening. 

"I don't know."

She gave him a sympathetic expression. "What's your name?"

"Arthur." He said, then automatically recalling his self-taught lesson from earlier added, "Bonnefoy. Arthur Bonnefoy."

"Well, Mr Bonnefoy, the man who assaulted you is in our custody-"

"I don't want to press charges." Arthur said. "Can I leave, please. I think I've lived through enough embarrassment for one day." _Five minutes of panic in a store for five months in and out of court? No thank you._

She gave him an apologetic glance. "Sir, I'm afraid we can't let you leave without someone. If there's no-one you want to call one of our officers can take you home."

Arthur felt another wave of tears coming and forced himself to swallow down his bitterness. He knew that they were just doing their jobs, and it was for his own safety, but he hated them for not letting him leave anyway. "My husband. Call my husband." He'd already embarrassed himself in front of Francis once already, so its not like he was breaking any perfect image in the Frenchman's head of him. Besides, he knew from experience that Francis had the decency to not bring something like this up again. So, with that in mind he gave Francis' work number to the woman and watched her go, shutting the door behind her and letting Arthur sit in his shame while he waited. He didn't even manage to get the perfume for God's sake.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Francis was just finished his lunch break when the building was engulfed in red, flashing lights and an invasively loud alarm. "What's going on?" Francis asked Natalia through his headset.

"Full-building lockdown. Meet me in Ivan's office."

With thoughts racing around his head he walked to Ivan's office, arriving in less that two minutes from when he'd been asked. "Why is the building in lockdown?" He asked Natalia as he walked in, since Ivan wasn't there. _Where is he?_ Francis thought, and the worry that this was a trap and they'd found out who he was lingered at the forefront of his mind.

"Something _very_ important has gone missing." Natalia informed him in a serious tone that Francis hadn't heard from her yet.

"What's gone missing that's important enough for all of this?" He gestured around the room where red lights were flashing across every available surface like an electric rave. 

"A flashdrive."

He took a deep, annoyed breath. "This is all very vague, Natalia. Tell me what's going on so I can sort this all out." He used a tone that suggested he didn't know what was on that flash drive even remotely, but he knew that it was likely the exact thing he came here looking for. If a thief selling lines of data the company was founded wasn't worth all of this fuss then it must be reserved for something really _really_ important. Blackmail comes to mind.

"You're sexy when you're frustrated." Natalia grinned, not a worry instilled in any part of her. Francis simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, come now, you'll learn in time. I promise! Patience is a virtue, you know?" 

Francis was about to retort with exactly what he thought about that when Ivan came into the office with a rage on his features that contrasted with the slow and calm way he moved. "Find the flash drive." He demanded and there was the underlying but serious threat of _or else_ and Francis definitely didn't want to find out what that was.

"Where was it last?"

"In my jacket pocket this morning, in _this_ office, on the back of _that_ chair." He pointed to the chair behind his desk with such force Francis though this arm would break from the sheer strain. 

"We'll start by doing surveillance." Natalia said, still all calm, used to her brother's temper in a way that no-one else was or ever would be.

"I'll have all the security personnel patrol and question everybody, starting from this floor and then heading outwards while watching surveillance tapes to see who had access to this office. Both methods simultaneously is the fastest solution to finding who did this." Francis said, earning him a glare from Ivan.

"It was be a lot faster if you were both doing it rather than standing here discussing it." The Russian Alpha said.

Francis nodded, Natalia chuckled, and both of them made their way out of the office and towards surveillance as Francis sent out the order for the rest of the security staff to do as he'd suggested in the office. When they reached surveillance they each took a chair at the computer screens showing all of the activity in front of and around Ivan's office. 

"Rather exciting all this isn't it?" Natalia asked, in a breathless way.

"Very." Francis said before he could catch himself. He hadn't meant to admit that, but he always loved being deep in a case and doing the footwork. "It'll be even better when we find the culprit."

"Oh, I certainly think it will." Natalia said, and the tone of her words was odd, but Francis just chalked it up to her being an odd person. 

"You start on the corridors and I'll do the front door." He said, eyes already glued to his task as he set the tapes to fast forward, only stopping when there was movement to slow down the figures, but none of them went inside. 

"What, exactly, am I supposed to be looking for in the corridors? Wether or not they go towards Ivan's office I can't know if they actually go in." She complained after 15 minutes of staring in boredom at the screen.

Francis rolled his eyes. "Unusual behaviour. People passing things between each other, stopping to speak, or interacting with others they wouldn't usually spare a glance at."

"Right." She kept her eyes on the screen as she kept conversation with him. "Dinner was nice last night."

"Thank you."

"So you cooked it?" She asked, and Francis could hear the smug in her tone. "What's the point of your Omega even staying at home all day if he can't cook?"

"He has other talents." Francis asserted.

"Oh? And what would they be?"

Francis slowed down the recording just to watch someone walk by innocently then sped it back up again. "Gardening, reading, speaking."

"Speaking is hardly a talent."

"The way he speaks is." Francis said with certainty. "You've never heard a man so powered by conviction and wit."

"All the _charm_ belongs to you, then. I see." She was hardly even paying attention to her screens, more interested in talking to the French Alpha. "How about we continue what we started?"

Francis thought he hadn't heard her right at first, but then he figured if anyone were to say something like that it would be Natalia. "I don't know what you're talking about." She seemed to take that as an invitation and wheeled her chair next to Francis', completely abandoning her screens. "What are you doing? We need to find this flash drive."

"Fine." She smiled, not moving away. "There's only 15 more seconds of sped up footage left so you'll have your answer soon." She sounded confident about that, and Francis wasn't sure why, especially when he reached the end of the footage from this morning and nothing had happened. 

"No-one went in." He admitted, perplexed. " I don't understand. How can it have been stolen? The only people that have been in there are me, Ivan and you. I didn't steal it, Ivan wouldn't steal his own flash drive and..." He turned to find her smirking.

"And?"

"Tell me you don't have it." He said, authoritative.

She simply smirked and used her hand to pull the bottom of her dress up until her pale thigh was visible, where there was a garter, and a flash drive pressed between that and her skin. "The things we do for love." She said, then bit her lip, letting her aroused scent flood Francis. "Go on, take it. Ivan will be really impressed if he finds out you're the one who found it and gave it back."

"He won't be very happy with you." He warned, glancing down at her thigh. She was really quite becoming and Francis would be flattered if she wasn't putting this entire operation on the line.

She rolled her eyes as she pressed closer to him. "He's not going to find out it was me. Just say you found it on the floor. Saw it falling out of his pocket."

"You want me to lie to my boss?"

"I can tell him if you want?" She grabbed his hand and put it on her bare thigh, sighing at the contact. Her skin was warmer than his hand, and Francis instinctively squeezed a little. "He'll believe anything I say." Francis understood immediately that she was inferring that Ivan would never believe him over her if he happened to feel the need to tell the truth. Ivan may have seemed like the one in control, but the real power lied with his sister. His hand was frozen on her leg as they stared each other down, both waiting to see who would back down, though he knew it would have to be him. He felt a deep pit of guilt in his stomach looking at her and realising he had no choice but to give in to her if he was going to get this job done. How could ever explain that to Arthur? How could he say that he threw away his chance at getting him his dream job because he felt like he'd be betraying the loyalty that had formed towards him? More than that, he would be betraying himself. If he succumbed to Natalia, he would be confirming that his moral compass had been compressed under his job _again_ , and he couldn't do that again. Not after that last case with Arthur. But if he didn't do this, how many would be hurt? Was his own self-righteousness worth the fallout that came alongside it? The decision was made for him, it seemed, as the phone on his desk rang. He picked it up while never breaking eye-contact with her, and the idea that they had an audience seemed to only excite her more.

"Francis?" Iryna's voice came through the phone.

"Yes?"

"We've just received a call from the mall. Your husband is being held there and needs you to get him. Shall I tell them you're not available?"

He took a second to process that information. What kind of trouble had Arthur gotten himself into in a mall? "No, I'll be right there. Our problem's been solved." He then hung up and his hand travelled to Natalia's garter to pluck out the flash drive. "I have to go."

Natalia looked outraged for a second before she shrugged it off and tried to act like it didn't matter to her. "Where?"

"To save my husband."

"What a tease you are." She complained with a smirk, pulling her dress back down. "I'll catch you later then." 

"I suppose you will." He gave her one of his most charming smiles, then stood up with the flash drive and headed to Ivan's office. When he got there he dropped it on the desk in front of Ivan, who scooped it up quickly and put it in his laptop, giving a minute sigh of relief. _That must be what I'm looking for,_ Francis thought. 

"Where was it?" Ivan demanded.

Francis considered his options for a split second then said, "on the floor, Sir. It had fallen from your pocket."

Ivan looked dubious of that but nodded. "You are an impressive head of security, Mr Bonnefoy. Your reputation is well-earned."

"Thank you, Sir." He shuffled on his feed awkwardly for a second, deciding what to do next. "May I ask a favour?"

"What is it?"

He stood up straight as he made his request, not wanting to show Ivan just how desperate he was to get away from the building right now. "Can I request a small break? I need to run a personal errand."

The Russian Alpha considered this for some time, enjoying having Francis under his complete control. "You can run your errand, Bonnefoy. No longer than an hour. I need your keen eyes present." Ivan said, and Francis felt a small weight lift from his shoulders.

"Thank you very much." Then he was walking out of the office, telling Iryna he'd be back shortly and getting in the car on his way to the mall. It didn't take long, about twenty minutes drive, and then a short walk from the parking lot to the mall security office. He walked up to the front desk that was in front of a small barred holding-cell, and offered a polite smile to the receptionist. "Francis Bonnefoy, I'm here for my husband."

"Ah, yes. I'll take you to him." The man behind the desk stood up and gestured for Francis to follow.

"I hope he didn't cause too much trouble." Francis said, tone light.

"No trouble at all, Sir." The man replied with a confused tone. "We're all just glad he's feeling better."

"Feeling better?" 

The man leading Francis down a hallway stopped at a door and turned, making Francis almost walk into him. "Do you know why your husband is with us, Sir?"

"No." Francis admitted. "I got a call at work to pick him up but I don't know why." 

The man put his hand on the door handle, presumably Arthur was in there. "He fell unconscious in a fragrance store after having a panic attack caused by being harassed by an Alpha." The receptionist said, quickly and efficiently, not leaving any room for misinterpretation.

"What?" Francis asked, immediately angry but more so concerned. "What did this Alpha do, exactly? Where is he now?"

"Sir, I have to ask you to remain calm." The man said, but it wasn't a warning. If anything, there was an understanding of Francis' anger in his words. "From the footage we have and an eye-witness it's been made clear that the Alpha scented your husband from behind." Francis tried to force the annoyance he was feeling down. "We currently have him in holding but there's very little we can do if your husband refuses to press charges, which he already has so far."

"Let me see him." Francis demanded, and when the man hesitated he simply grabbed the end of the door handle himself and walked in to the room where Arthur was sat on a couch looking bored. 

"Ah, you're here. Let's leave." Arthur said, getting up from his couch. Francis simply ignored him and shut the door, cutting off the protest of the action from the receptionist. 

"Are you alright?" He asked, then stormed over to Arthur and took his face in his hands, surveying every inch his eyes could reach before looking straight into Arthur's eyes and looking for lies. "Did he hurt you?"

Arthur scoffed and pushed Francis off him. "I'm fine, it was nothing." He tried to go for the door but Francis stood in his path. 

"It wasn't nothing, Arthur, you passed out. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." 

"You never want to talk about anything!" Francis argued, then softened his voice. It wasn't Arthur he was angry at. "I'm not going to think any less of you." He said, echoing Arthur's words to him a few days ago. 

Arthur hated that he believed the Alpha. Hated that he could feel his shame eating him from the inside, trying to claw it's way out and make it's way to Francis' ears. Instead of succumbing to that though, he steeled his expression and sighed. "You're making this a bigger deal that it actually is. I told you I'm fine and I meant it."

He expected Francis to put up a fight, or to criticise him for suppressing his emotions, or in the very least to give him a disappointed look. What he didn't expect was for the Alpha to pull him into an embrace, nor did he expect him to rub his hand up and down his back in a soothing motion, but that's exactly what happened. Against all of his instincts, he wrapped his arms around Francis in return, comforted by the Alpha's floral scent more than he ever wanted to admit. "It's not your fault." Francis affirmed, and Arthur relaxed into the hug. It was all good and well telling himself that, but it seemed so much more believable when it came from Francis. 

"I know." Arthur said, unwilling still to talk about it. Francis knew this, so took the reigns for him, guiding Arthur towards salvation. 

"What that man did was disgusting." Francis said with contempt. "He took advantage of your faith in people not to harass you in public, as they certainly shouldn't. The actions he took were vile," he then moved his arms from around Arthur and back to his original position of his hands holding Arthur's face, looking into his eyes to drill in the point he was making, "and they were _his_ alone, not yours. They reflect who _he_ is, not who _you_ are. Do you understand?" Arthur nodded, afraid to answer in case the words got caught in his throat. His arms were still around Francis, clinging to him like a life-raft. "You are better than him, and always will be." Then he leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to Arthur's forehead. " _Now_ we can go, if you promise you're alright."

"I'm _perfectly_ alright, I promise." Arthur said, and unlike five minutes ago, he meant it this time. Francis received that answer with a smile and Arthur finally let the other man go, only to have his hand re-occupied with Francis' as he walked out the room where the receptionist had now disappeared back to his post. Arthur let Francis pull him along, eager to get out of this place and they'd almost made their way out when a familiar voice reached Arthur's ears with a taunt. 

"Leaving so soon? It thought we had something special." It was the voice of the Alpha from earlier that was now pressed up against the bars of the holding cell, laughing at Arthur. He felt the beginnings of panic setting in and was prepared to start a deep breathing sequence before he was unceremoniously yanked out of that mentality by Francis' hand who was moving quicker than Arthur had ever seen the other man move. It seemed less than a second between them being near the exit to them being at the bars after Francis had grabbed the offending Alpha by his collar and slammed his face in to the bars, causing a pained shout as blood started to gush from his nose. 

"Don't you dare talk to him. Ever." Francis spat, and Arthur could smell his anger, as well as feel it in how tightly he was gripping Arthur's hand. 

"What are you going to-" The Alpha tried to taunt him but Francis simply pulled him forward again with all of his strength, breaking his nose against the metal bars with a sickening crunch that Arthur was sure he'd never forget. Francis held him there with one arm, anger completely fuelling him, growling at the other man as he tried to push himself away from the cold metal pressing against his face to escape the French Alpha's threat. Arthur looked at Francis with a mix of emotions. He was upset that Francis had taken it upon himself to protect him, like he was a frail, defenceless child. On the other hand though, he was too shocked to be too angry by this show of aggression, something he had never thought the other capable of. It seemed to consume him like a house fire, and his scent actually grounded Arthur, made him feel safe and protected despite himself. He wanted to be angrier at Francis for this, for making him look like he needed an Alpha around but it seemed to be completely out of the other man's control. Alphas couldn't actually take charge of when they growled or not, it was a natural and automatic response to a threat, but why was Francis so heated? A tall, muscular Alpha then pulled Francis away from the cell, forcing him to let go of the man who'd assaulted Arthur. He turned to the guy that pulled him away then, pulling Arthur behind his back and growling low in his throat at the new man while he stood up straight, ready to fight whoever dared cross him. 

Arthur was stunned. Even in stressful cases he hadn't seen this extreme reaction. He'd seen perps spit at Francis, threaten him, hit him, he'd even been stabbed in the thigh once, but he'd never reacted to any of that like this. "Francis." Arthur said, voice quiet, as he laid a hand on the Alpha's shoulder where his muscles were rock solid. Francis turned towards his voice and when he saw Arthur he looked down. "Are you alright?" Maybe he'd finally snapped. All that time he was supposed to be angry had all mounted up to this, but _why_?

The Alpha took a few moments to recognise where he was and what was going on before speaking. "I'm fine, are you okay?" Arthur glanced at the man in the cell, cowering in the corner with his broken nose, then looked back to Francis and nodded. Francis then turned back to the security guard that had pulled him away and gave him an apologetic expression. "I'm really sorry about that, I don't know what came over me."

The guard simply put up his hands and gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's alright, I get it, but I think it really would be best for you to go."

"I agree." Arthur said, then walked away, pulling Francis along with him. As soon as they were out of sight there were just indignant shouts from the Alpha in the cell that faded away the further they got from the room. 

"Arthur, I'm sorry-" Francis began, only to be interrupted. 

"Don't be. Just don't do it again, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Francis agreed. "I don't know what happened to me just now, I just want you to know I'm not usually like that-"

"Francis." Arthur said in a serious tone. He knew that this would ruminate on the Alpha's mind if he didn't put it to rest now. "I'm not scared of you."

"You're not?" Francis asked, confused, as he let go of Arthur so they could get into the car. He'd remind himself of his Sire, and that scared him, so how hadn't it scared Arthur? He knew what happened, of course, but there was no way he was going to let Arthur in on that. As soon as he'd left Arthur's hand squeeze his at that Alpha's tormenting, he had been thrown back to that case. To that tight alleyway and that awful accident. He couldn't let anything like that happen to Arthur ever again, so he didn't regret his reaction, he just regretted that his biological need to protect his partner was out of his control. He knew Arthur hated being protected.

"I could never be afraid of you." Arthur said, smiling assuredly. The confession made Francis feel warm inside, maybe he was being a little too hard on himself. "You're still the softest man I know, you just gave him what he deserved."

"He deserves worse than a broken nose." Francis said, and felt a small wave of anger but nothing nearly as intense as earlier. "But it'll have to do if you're not pressing charges." 

"You disapprove." 

"I don't disapprove, I just don't understand." 

Arthur looked out the window as they drove away from the mall. "They'd need our records, and our cover would be blown. There's nothing else to it."

"So if it had happened in New York, you _would_ press charges?" Francis asked. He could tell Arthur was lying and for once he wasn't going to coddle the other man by letting him get away with it.

"That's really none of your business." Arthur said, not wanting to be analysed in his moment of weakness. He wished in his head that the drive would somehow be quicker and he could escape the mounting emotion that had been building up in him the past few days.

"It's only yourself you're acting in spite of." Francis replied, but he knew Arthur would evade anything he said. If he knew anything, he knew that Arthur couldn't be forced to voice his emotions. The rest of the journey was spent in silence, Arthur sat stewing in his irritation until they reached their home and Arthur couldn't wait to step out of the car. "Do you want me to stay with you? I could call-"

"Just do your job, Francis." Arthur said, holding the passenger door open after getting out. "Get us out of this hellish suburb and back to where we belong. To answer your question, this never would have happened in New York, and I'd like to go back to that."

"What do you mean?"

"What?"

Francis looked at Arthur the way he looked at a witness in interrogation when he knew they were hiding something. Arthur had to admit that he hadn't seen anyone with intuition for liars like Francis. "Sexual harassment occurs just as much, if not more, in New York. So, why would it never have happened there?"

Arthur knew it was his hormones fucking with him, but he couldn't help his irritation mounting. "If you put this much effort into investigating our targets, maybe we could be out of here right now." It wasn't true, and he knew it. Francis was doing the best he could, and he hated himself for saying otherwise, but he would stand his ground.

"So this is my fault?" Francis asked, raising his eyebrow.

"That's not what I'm saying! Just go." Arthur said, slamming the door to the car with far more force than was necessary. He felt guilt heavy in his stomach, but he had to get away before he slipped up and told the truth, or worse, let Francis smell him. Unfortunately, Francis seemed to not be able to let this go, and also got out of the car, following him. 

"Then what are you saying?" He said loudly, definitely loud enough that other neighbours could hear. 

"Be quiet, you're attracting attention." Arthur hissed, getting this keys out and opening the front door, only to be followed in by Francis.

"Tell me what exactly you're accusing me of, then."

"I'm not accusing you of anything." Arthur said, hanging up the coat he'd been wearing.

"Are you actually capable of not _lying,_ for once?" Francis asked. He was concerned about the Omega, and frustrated to no end that he simply wouldn't let Francis in. He'd opened up last night, let himself be seen by Francis for the first time ever, and that seemed to completely freak Arthur out, so he'd immediately backtracked and re-built those walls with ten times the enthusiasm.

"What exactly do you want me to say?" Arthur said, forcing all tone to slip out of his voice, leaving him sounding devoid of any emotional attachment to the conversation. It was a trick he'd learned very young around his parents to avoid their anger shifting to him rather than each other.

"I want you to know that it's okay to feel taken advantage of, to be angry at this guy." 

"Why does it matter so much to you that I feel? It's got nothing do with you."

"Yes, it has!" Francis argued, getting more riled up by Arthur's lack of, well, anything. "Wether you like it nor we're here _together._ Working, living, breathing, and existing _together,_ and we will be for the foreseeable future. So if it's to do with you it's to do with me too. You don't _have_ to do this alone."

"Maybe I want to do this alone, have you considered that?" Arthur folded his arms, staring Francis down. He couldn't take much more of this. His heart ached at the idea that Francis wanted to be there for him, but he couldn't allow that. He couldn't start to feel safe with the other man only to have him ripped from his grasp when they went back to New York. He wouldn't be abandoned by someone he cared about ever again. "We're _not_ together. We just happen to be sharing the same space. We're not connected in the way you seem to think we are. We're here to do a job, to settle a case. That's all."

"So you wouldn't care if I fucked Natalia to that end?" Francis asked with hurt in his tone.

The Omega felt a sharp stab of jealously at that, felt it more potently than he had Alfred kicking his shin, but he shrugged in response. "Do what you have to do."

Francis' hurt doubled. It felt like the Omega had taken a knife and carved into him without a single care. He just nodded bitterly as he swung open the front door, stopping before he left to turn to Arthur and say, "the only one making your life so fucking miserable right now is yourself." Then he slammed the door behind him, leaving Arthur in silence. When the Englishman heard their car tear away from their drive, he leaned on the wall and let himself slide down until he was sat, holding this knees to his chest and making himself look as small as he felt.

He wanted to run after Francis, to apologise and ask him to stay, but he knew it was better this way. Now there was no chance of Francis getting close, of taking a part of him away when he moved back with his friends and Arthur was left inevitably alone. As he looked around the empty living room he recognised this moment as what he'd been afraid of, the moment he was left alone with his own traitorous mind. Just sitting there he could already feel himself getting filled with self-hatred. It was only a matter of time before he was consumed by it, so he simply sat in the silence and waited.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What are we doing wrong?" Gilbert asked as he and Antonio sat opposite each other at their coffee table, pads of paper full of notes and theories scribbled on them strewn in front of them. They'd called into work sick and said they couldn't make it in today and had been brainstorming what to do and where to start ever since. 

"Well, it can't be Francis' fault." Antonio said with certainty. "We know everything about him, so it _must_ be Arthur."

"We've cross-referenced every case they've been on together, and none of them stick out except _that_ one, but that was resolved." Gilbert added.

Antonio took a second to think. "We should go to public records!" He said, getting up with a new found energy borne from his idea. "There has to be somebody that knows something about the elusive Arthur Kirkland."

"That's a good plan." Gilbert said, following Antonio out of their flat and to a cab they managed to pull over. When they were on their way, Gilbert turned to his friend. "So, how was your date? All we've done all morning is talk about Francis."

Antonio smiled unconsciously. "It was great. I just hope he doesn't think I'm avoiding him by not coming in today."

"I'm sure he doesn't" Gilbert assured. "What did you talk about?"

"Everything!" Antonio said excitedly, and Gilbert was glad to see his friend so giddy. He deserved it after always trying to make everyone else happy before himself. "He grew up in Italy with his brother and they came to the city together but live in separate apartments now. His brother works as a chef in a restaurant downtown. I told him about where I grew up, and my family and I even talked about you and Francis a little."

"I'm honoured."

"I'm so glad you made me do it, Gil." Antonio admitted. "I'd never have actually taken the plunge myself, but now we've got another date next week!"

"I'm happy for you, Toni." Gilbert said with genuine happiness as they pulled up to the records department. "Now, let's solve our little mystery so you can get back to organising your new-found love life."

"Yes, let's." Then Antonio paid the driver and they were in the records building at the front desk. 

"We need the records for Arthur Kirkland." Antonio said, adorning a charming smile, and providing the other details he needed in order to get the right person, not that it was an overly popular name. He also showed his badge so that he could prove he had the right to access them.

"A popular man that Kirkland." The receptionist said, not even bothering to look at his computer. "But I'm afraid we don't have any records for him."

"What do you mean?" Gilbert asked, completely perplexed. 

"Well, there's the same man comes in every week asking for the very same records, but we don't have any that aren't sealed."

"His records are sealed? How odd." Antonio said, trying to imagine a reason why they would be sealed.

"Who is the man who asks for them?" Gilbert asked the receptionist. "Maybe he knows something about this."

"Oh, yes. Maybe he's the one whose after him." Antonio agreed, then both of them looked at the receptionist expectantly.

"His name should be in the visitor log, hang tight." Then there was tapping on a keyboard as the receptionist found the information. "His name is Seamus Kirkland, presumably of some relation, though I can't say for certain."

"Do you know where we can find him?" Gilbert asked, and the receptionist handed them his last known address. "Thank you very much." As they walked out of the building Gilbert looked at the address and recalled the name. "I know this place. It's a bar not too far from here. Come on." He flagged down another cab and five minutes later they found themselves entering a bustling Irish bar, Celtic music playing faintly over the shouting. They both decided that the best course of action would be to ask the bartender so that's exactly what they did.

"Hey!" Gilbert waved over a bartender, who came towards him looking rather angry. He was a tall, ginger Alpha that was pale and covered in freckles.

"Are you the ocean?" A strongly accented voice asked.

"What?" Gilbert didn't understand at all. Was this some sort of odd pick-up line?

"Are you the _sea?_ Big, blue thing full of water?"

"Um, no."

"So why the _fuck_ are you waving?" The bartender asked, voice seemingly on the edge of unkempt rage. "Do you see all of these fine people?" The Alpha asked, gesturing to the crowd pushing against the bar. Gilbert nodded, Antonio snickering behind him at being told off. "What makes you think I'm going to serve you before them because you're throwing around that filthy paw of yours? Wait your turn." Then the man turned away from him before he got a chance to answer and started serving the people who had gotten to the bar before them. 

Gilbert turned to Antonio and punched his arm when he saw that he was being laughed at. "Not very good customer service." Gilbert complained lowly, not wanting the bartender to hear him.

"Ah, don't mind him." Another Alpha sitting at the bar said to the two as he nursed his own pint of beer. This man looked remarkably similar to the man behind the bar but with slightly lighter ginger hair, less muscles, and more freckles to the point that they were almost covering his skin. "He hates being behind the bar."

"I don't blame him." Antonio said. "We're not here for drinks though we just want to ask some questions so we can wait."

"Oh really? What is it brings you fellers here if not the alcohol?" 

"We're looking for information on a man. Arthur Kirkland." Gilbert supplied. At the mention of that name the other Alpha's green eyes snapped to the pair, analysing them.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Gilbert, and this is Antonio." The German answered, pointing to his friend. "We're detectives with the NYPD and we just wanted to know if a guy going by the name Seamus knows anything that might be useful to us." 

The other man then stood up and whistled using his hand, causing the whole bar to go silent except for the faint Celtic music. "Everybody out!" He shouted, and much to the two's surprise people filed out without much fuss. When the bar was empty he turned back to the other two, who were a bit scared they were about to be fought. "Sit." He pointed to a now empty table with a few half-empty glasses on it. They both complied, feeling the eyes of both the man that had just emptied the bar and the angry bartender watching them.

"What's going on? We can't afford to shut the bar in the middle of the day! Is there a fire?" Another voice sounded from upstairs that matched to a man that came running down from the back staircase. 

"How many of them is there?" Gilbert whispered to Antonio as the third Alpha came into view. He definitely had a less intimidating aura than the other two, but again, looked rather similar except for a few details. His hair was curly like the other two, but more between ginger and blonde than definitely red-headed like the other two, and his freckles were much less pronounced than the other two. 

"I agree. Seamus, are you able to sit down alright, now that you've started shitting out money?" The angry man asked, glaring at the man from the bar. Ah, so that's who they're looking for.

"They know Arthur!" Seamus accused, pointing at the two detectives, forcing the attention of all three ginger men to them.

" _Our_ Arthur?" The man that had come from upstairs had asked.

"No, I fancied a story about the King of the round table." Seamus replied, rolling his eyes. " _Of course_ our Arthur."

The man behind the bar scoffed. "Moron."

"Forgive my brothers." Seamus said, sitting on the opposite side of the table to where Gilbert and Antonio were, to be shortly joined by the other two. "I'm Seamus, this is Emrys-"

"And I'm the oldest and sexiest, Alistair." The barman finished. "Now that those pleasantries are out of the way, what do you know about our brother?" Gilbert got the sense that they were the ones being interrogated.

_Brother?_ Gilbert and Antonio looked at each other to find the other suitably confused. Arthur never mentioned any family, not even his parents. They had just assumed he'd sprung from the earth a fully grown bastard. It made sense though, looking at and listening to these three, the only difference being that these men were willing to converse with the other two. "We can't actually talk about what we know. We just need any information you have-"

"Right, I'm going to stop you there. Why would we help you get our brother in trouble?" Seamus asked.

"He's not in trouble." Antonio replied, confused. Did these guys not know Arthur at all? "He's just missing."

"I hope he's alright." Emrys said. "He hates violence."

"It doesn't really sound like you know him all that well." Gilbert said with a small, awkward laugh, also confused. If these were his brothers why were they asking two _strangers_ for information about him?

"Hey, now." Alistair said in a warning tone. "I'll not be sit here and get ridiculed by pinky and the fucking brain. Who are you to-"

"Alistair, please." Emrys interrupted, completely unbothered by his brother's temper. He then turned to the two detectives. "What he means to say, of course, is that we've sadly fallen out of contact with our brother, so we likely know even less than you." The man seemed sad about that fact. "We found out he came to New York a few years back after hiring a private investigator but after that we lost him."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Gilbert said. He would be utterly heartbroken if he'd lost contact with Ludwig and not known what had happened to him, but he couldn't feel too much sympathy for these men, because he simply wouldn't let that happen. Also, if _Arthur_ was running away from people, they must be really scary people. Maybe coming here was a mistake. "Is there nothing at all you can tell us?"

"Only that he went to boarding school when he was eleven." Seamus said, looking away with what looked like shame. And so he should, Gilbert thought. He wasn't Arthur's biggest fan, but he almost understood why he was the way he was if this was his family. There's not a chance on earth he would have abandoned Ludwig at eleven. Hell, Gilbert was more of a brother to Arthur than these people and they'd had approximately five conversations in the time they'd worked together. 

"Nothing else?" Gilbert enquired.

"That's all, unfortunately. He's not easy to find if he doesn't want to be found." Seamus said.

"We once lost him for two days during hide and seek." Emrys added, reminiscing. "He'd made a little home for himself in the neighbour's shed. We were terrified he'd gone missing and even had the police round. It took us making his favourite cake for him to finally come out." The Alpha huffed a laugh. Antonio just made a face of astonishment. It was difficult to imagine the hardened, unfeeling Kirkland he'd come to know as a care-free child.

"He'd do anything to win." Alistair added. _That makes more sense,_ Antonio thought.

"Well, I'm sorry gentlemen, but I don't really think we can help each other any more." Antonio said, standing. 

"Can you tell us if you find him? We've been looking for years." Emrys asked, and the other two stared at the detectives, also obviously wanting the answer. 

"I'm afraid that's out of our control." Gilbert said, standing up with his friend and watching the three men deflate with disappointment. "Thank you for everything." He said, and then he and Antonio left the way they'd came, getting straight into a cab outside.

"That was weird, right?" Gilbert asked his friend.

"Really weird."

"Do you think they're the guys threatening Arthur and Francis?"

"They're obviously intent on finding their brother but how would that involve Francis?" Antonio asked, feeling a little guilty about the fact that they possibly just revealed Arthur's home city to some potentially dangerous people. That was in no way their intention. "Should we tell Ludwig?"

"Most certainly not. He'd have our heads." Though Gilbert seemed nervous too. "You don't think they're really dangerous, right?"

"Honestly, Gil, I don't know." 

"Francis wouldn't want this." Gilbert admitted, feeling terribly guilty about the information they might have just shared with dubious people.

"What do we do now?" 

"I'm not sure but we should keep an eye on those guys for sure. If Arthur doesn't want them knowing where he is we have to make sure they don't find out. We're being too reckless."

"I agree." Antonio said, nodding. "We definitely need to keep things on the down low from now on. Thankfully, those guys know even less than we do so we don't have to worry about that but from now on we need to keep this investigation between us."

"Definitely." 

As they were riding in the cab Gilbert got a phone-call from his brother which he answered immediately, not wanting to draw suspicion. "Ludwig!"

"What are you doing?" His brother asked, in a very severe tone.

"Me? Just sat watching tv with Toni. We're feeling a lot better."

"Okay, so you have nothing to with the missing person's enquiry that's just slid across my desk regarding Kirkland?"

"Shit." Gilbert whispered, which, unfortunately, was not missed by his brother.

"Get to the precinct right now, and bring Carrierdo." Then he hung up, and Gilbert told the driver to take them to the precinct.

"What's going on?" Antonio asked.

"They called the NYPD to ask about Arthur."

"Oh. _Oh no_." Antonio paled, worry encapsulating him. "Are we going to get fired?"

"I don't think so." Gilbert said, but rightly he didn't actually know. 

The rest of the ride to the precinct was short, but the walk to Ludwig's office seemed to last forever, and the glare from Lovino made Antonio wince. Once they were inside, Gilbert could see that his brother was truly furious as he stood before his desk.

"I know you're worried about your friend, but this behaviour is unacceptable." Ludwig said, glaring at the both of them. "You're both suspended for a week." The two opened their mouths to argue but Ludwig held up his hand to stop them. "Don't you _dare_ argue with me. You're lucky you're not being charged with something and fired. This department was made aware of Kirkland's brothers the day Arthur began working here. He disclosed that _very_ personal information to me, and requested his name and identity be left out of any media reports so that he could remain anonymous. This isn't the first time they've contacted the NYPD in search for their brother nor will it likely be the last, but that doesn't excuse your actions. You're lucky that this is a family matter for Kirkland and not one of life and death." The other two audibly sighed, the guilt lifting from them. "If those people had been the ones after them, can you imagine how much danger you'd be putting your friend in? Did you think by some miracle I wouldn't find out that you were skulking around in records and doing an investigation?" The two bowed their heads, not wanting to face their accuser head on. "I expect better from you, and have half a mind to send you back to the academy. If I find out you have anything more to do with Bonnefoy and Kirkland and their position in witness protection I will personally see to it that you are both punished accordingly. Is that clear?" They nodded again, not daring to speak against him. "Get out, and drop off your badges and firearms before you leave. I don't want to see or hear from you for a week."

"Yes, Sir." They both said before leaving the office. 

"You've really done it this time haven't you, Carrierdo?" Lovino said as they walked out.

"I didn't mean to-"

"Why are you digging into Kirkland's personal life anyway?" The small Italian man demanded, enraged. "Are you truly that unnerved by an Omega that acts just as tough and competent as an Alpha? Is it really that _unbelievable_ that we can hold our own?" 

"No, that's not-"

"Don't bother picking me up for our date next week." Lovino said, not even looking at Antonio as he shattered his heart.

"You don't even _like_ Kirkland!" Antonio argued, tears gathering in his eyes.

"Says who? Besides, it doesn't matter if I like the man or not, his existence proves your prejudice."

Antonio had enough of being accused, and lost his temper, shouting, "He shot a man dead, Lovino. That's why I'm prejudiced against him, the fact he's an Omega has nothing to do with it."

Lovino looked at him then, as did the rest of the department, not knowing how to react. "Get out, or I'll call security to force you out." Lovino said, going back to his computer rather than offering the Alpha any form of surprise at the comment. Professional as always. In the end, Gilbert had to drag him out, and they remained in stunned silence until they got back to the apartment, stripped of their badges and firearms, and sitting on the couch.

"You shouldn't have said that." Gilbert said, looking at the wall rather than his friend. "Plenty of the officers in that precinct have had to shoot people, and many have watched people die."

"But none of _them_ are with Francis right now." Antonio argued, then sighed. "I didn't mean it, really."

"I know." Gilbert replied, and he really did. He knew that Antonio's anger stemmed from concern for their best friend, and that he never meant for an outburst like that. The circumstances of that case had been brutal and any officer was trained to have done the same as Kirkland had. 

"I just want to know he's safe."

"He is." Gilbert assured the other man, putting a comforting hand on Antonio's back. "Ludwig may be intense but it's because he cares. Wherever he is and for whatever reason, Francis is safe."

"What do we do now?" Antonio asked, voice raw from holding in tears. "How do I get Lovino to forgive me?"

"He just needs time. As for us, what would Francis want us to do?"

Antonio laughed. "He'd probably want us to watch a movie and relax to get rid of the stress."

"Then let's do that. We can figure the rest out later."

"Alright." Antonio conceded, letting Gilbert put the tv on and choose one of Francis' favourite rom-coms. He settled back into the couch as Gilbert brought him a beer. He was grateful he had two best friends, because he would never be able to go through this himself, and he knew that they'd always solved every problem they'd put their mind to. Right now, he just needed to have a little faith.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Francis finally finished his shift he couldn't wait to get home. He'd been suppressing his sadness since he'd left Arthur, and it must have shown because all of his coworkers avoided talking to him. Natalia had rubbed his hand where there was dried blood and inferred that he liked it rough and he'd simply shrugged it off, saying he didn't want to talk about it. The fact that he came back miserable from a meeting with his husband must have satiated her appetite for his attention because she left him alone the rest of the day which was spent just watching cameras and filling in forms. He couldn't focus for the rest of the day at all, his mind constantly going back to Arthur's words _do what you have to do_ , and here he was, not being able to do anything but the bare minimum. _At least my cover looks genuine_ , he thought bitterly. 

When he pulled into the drive he noticed that the house was dark, not a light on in sight. Ready to pick up where they had left off earlier, h got into the house and turned the light on, hanging up his coat and uniform hat. The house was completely silent, and the atmosphere undisturbed. "Arthur?" There was no response. He walked upstairs and checked the bedroom and office, then knocked on the door to the bathroom, where he caught a slight scent. The door was unlocked, so he pushed the door open slowly so Arthur had a chance to protest if he was in there, but he was noticeably absent. Not absent, however, was the unmistakable scent of fear, underlapped ever so slightly with that familiar scent form this morning. The pieces started to fit together in Francis' mind and the anger and bitterness from earlier completely drained out of him as he became frantic, shouting Arthur's name and looking in all conceivable places, including the back garden. He could feel his heart racing and his skin growing cold as the whole house revealed no traces of his partner. The scent that morning _must_ have been some sort of perfume that Arthur was wearing, which was what he'd been at the store for, but the scent of fear concerned him. Although he'd never gotten a natural Omega scent from Arthur before, he'd smelled that fear, once.

He rummaged around the office desk, hands slightly shaking as he looked for some sort of clue. _Had someone found out who they were and taken him? Had the Alpha from the mall found out where they lived and come to take revenge? Had it been a classic home invasion?_ He could feel his worry mounting every second, and started to feel sick when he couldn't find anything. 

With no other ideas he ran out of the house, leaving the door wide open and ran next door, slamming so hard on the door he thought his fist might go through. When the door opened Alfred stood there looking worried. "What's up, man?"

"Is he here?"

Alfred looked confused and a little worried about Francis' state of mind. "Arthur? Yeah, he's-"

"Francis?" Arthur came round the corner from Alfred's hallway and Francis pushed Alfred with such force he nearly bowled the poor man over, and embraced Arthur so tightly he wasn't sure the other could breath.

"Don't you _ever_ do that to me again."

Arthur stood stock still in shock, arms at his side and face buried into the Alpha's chest. He didn't really know what was happening but raised a hand to pat Francis' arm in what he hoped was a comforting gesture."Are you doing alright?" Arthur was seriously starting to consider that Francis was the most emotionally fragile man he'd ever met. "If this is about earlier-"

"I don't care about that." Francis said, earnestly. "What happened?" He pulled back to look at Arthur and surveyed for any damage, only to find the other looking sheepish. The Englishman muttered something under his breath. "What?"

"There was a spider, alright?" Francis looked at him in disbelief and then laughed, and Arthur thought he was going mad. "You're not angry?"

"Angry? Arthur, I thought you'd been kidnapped. I'm glad you're safe." Then he leaned forward to press a kiss to Arthur's cheek but the Englishman got the wrong idea and tilted his face to the side slightly so that their lips met. It was chaste and clumsy and a little awkward, but it still made both of their faces heat up. The look they shared after seemed to last for hours, even if it was only a few seconds, both with wide eyes and unsure expressions.

"Um, guys?" Alfred said from his doorway, feeling like a third-wheel. "Do you want some privacy?"

"Sorry." Arthur said, shaking himself. "We should probably go home now, I'm sorry for taking up your time, Alfred."

Alfred laughed. "Hey, man, it's not a problem I hate those creepy freaks too. I mean, what kind of animal needs eight legs and a zillion eyes?"

Francis laughed, then walked to Alfred and pulled him into a hug, then pulled away and patted his shoulder. "Thank you for protecting my damsel in distress."

"Hey!" Arthur protested, but Alfred just laughed.

"Anytime! What are friends for?" 

"Well, we'll be on our way now." Arthur said. "Thank you."

Alfred smiled and nodded as they left. As soon as they got into their own house and locked the door, Arthur turned to Francis. He'd meant to keep all of his emotions to himself, to indulge only in his own time but that had been ruined when he had screamed and ran to Alfred when a spider the size of Godzilla had made itself known on the ceiling above the bath where he had been sat. Even before then he'd been contemplating the reason for suffering by himself, which seemed only to sabotage rather than protect himself. If anyone could be trusted, it was Francis. "I didn't mean to say anything was your fault." He said calmly, and when Francis went to interrupt him he held up a hand, and Francis nodded, knowing he needed dot say what he needed to say. "I know you're doing your best and I shouldn't have insinuated otherwise." He looked Francis in the eye, deciding in a moment of bravery to not shy away from this. "We're here together, and I'm glad for that. You're the only one I'd want to be here with because you're damned good at your job. That man at the store-" his voice constricted slightly, "he made me feel weak, and stupid. He made me feel defenceless like I did two years ago." He admitted, reading the script he'd made himself in the bath.

"Arthur..."

"Please. I have to say this." He finally looked away from Francis now, and leaned back on the front door for support. He never thought he'd talk about this ever again, yet here he was, baring his soul to Francis for the second time in two days. These hormones were playing hell with him. "I never thanked you for what you did. I would have-" He instinctively rubbed his hand over his hip where a scar was located. It was an unconscious movement that overtook him whenever he'd been thinking about it for too long. "I would have died. I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for you, and I never once even said thank you." 

"You don't need to say this-"

"No, I do!" He looked at Francis again and straightened his posture, pushing himself from the door and forcing himself to confront this with zeal. "I froze, and you saved my life, and I'll always owe you for that."

Francis crossed the distance between them and put his hand over Arthur's where it covered his scar under his clothes. That day haunted both of them. It was meant to be a standard arrest. The case had already been solved, they were just picking up the criminal, a murder that had a thing for drugged up Omegas. They'd found him in an apartment alleyway, pinning an Omega against the wall and when they'd announced their presence the man had panicked and pushed down the man he had pinned then ran towards Arthur, seeing he was smaller and assuming weaker and sank his knife into his hip. His method was to then drag the knife upwards and watch his victims' light die out slowly, and if Francis hadn't shot the man in the neck from the side, killing him instantly, he would have gutted Arthur too. When Arthur fell he didn't know if he was going to die or live, but he was thankful he wasn't alone, cradled in Francis arms as he had called an ambulance. When he'd woken up in hospital, Francis asleep in a chair by his bed, he decided to be even less Omega-like than he had in the past. He would never need an Alpha like that again, and for that to be possible, he needed to look stronger, even less forgiving. He'd upped his suppressant dose ever since then, took to going to the gym every opportunity he got, and hadn't looked back. 

"If you hadn't taken credit, I'd be in prison. You don't owe me anything." With his other hand he cupped Arthur's cheek. "Is this why you pit yourself against me all the time."

"Of course it is. I can never make up for that. If I hadn't taken credit I'd have been branded unfit for work there and been put out." That much was true, too. It was mutually beneficial, the way they had went about that case, but it weighed on Francis' mind every day that if anything happened to Arthur, he was the one who allowed him back into the force. Although, he hated to imagine how Arthur would have ended up if he hadn't done anything. Worse off, probably. At least that's what he told himself. 

Francis rested his forehead against Arthur's. "There's nothing to make up for. The world is a better place with you in it, wether you believe that or not." He had vaguely been planning on asking Arthur out after that case, enjoying the back and forth they had, but after that case Arthur lost all sense of that and witty remarks became harsh quips. He's lost any and all sympathy for anyone, and had never been the same. "I think about it too, sometimes." He pulled his head back and simply stood in front of Arthur, so he could speak quietly. "I killed a man, and then put you in harms way by letting you take the blame."

"You would never put me in harms way." Arthur asserted. "I would be in more danger if I hadn't kept this job. It means everything to me, Francis. Don't you understand that?"

"I do."

"Then stop beating yourself up about it." He demanded, allowing himself to commit this one act of kindness, made easier because what he was saying was true. "I live for this job. You saved me. That's all there is to it."

"Why does it haunt you?" Francis asked, sympathy swimming in those beautiful blue eyes. 

Arthur sighed. Someone up there must be looking out for him, because he was being blessed with a lack of hounding emotion right now. He almost felt normal. "When I was lying in the alleyway, and my insides were doused in pain, I thought I was going to die by the hands of an Alpha because I was an Omega. Because he looked at me, and despite years of the right amount exercise, training and healing, he saw a weak little Omega. It was at that moment I realised no matter what I did the world was against me, so I was going to be against the world." He shrugged. "Today proved that again."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Francis let out a small laugh. "You can't truly believe people see you as a weak, little Omega? Most of the Alphas we work with are terrified of you, and you've cracked more perps in interrogation than anyone else in the precinct." Arthur grinned at that. "You're the furthest thing from weak I've ever known, and everyone around you knows it."

"I suppose." He said lightly, smiling, then pushed gently against Francis so he could walk past him and to the liquor cabinet, wanting to get away from that moment of openness, then poured himself a whisky. It would take a much stronger amount to stop thinking about _this_ conversation and sleep.

"Is it the reason you have to drink before bed?"

"Noticed that did you?" Arthur asked, taking a swig of his drink.

"Difficult not to." Francis replied.

The Omega sighed. "I see him every night if I don't. It's better not to dream."

"It's never better to not dream." Francis said, sounding sad in a way that made Arthur want to tell him everything was okay.

"Maybe to you." Arthur sipped at the whisky, revelling in the way it burned down his throat and calmed his nerves. "I think I'll turn in early tonight. It's been a long day." He admitted, turning towards the staircase. "I hope we get this case over with soon."

Francis felt a stab of disappointment at that. "Me too." He shifted a bit, then took the plunge and asked what had been on his mind since earlier. "Are you really alright with the whole Natalia thing?" 

There was a moment of hesitation in which Francis foolishly thought Arthur would say _no, you moron,_ but instead the Omega just said, "if you're not comfortable then don't do it, but otherwise I really have no problem. We're not really married, after all." Then Arthur was going upstairs, Francis following not too closely behind. 

"Right, good." Francis replied, not letting his sadness leak into his voice.

Arthur wished he had the will power to say he didn't want Francis to sleep with Natalia, _of course_ he didn't, but what good would that bring, really? It's not like Francis would sleep with _him_ , and even if he did, it would be over once they reached the city and Arthur would have to move out of New York to avoid the other man. Why did he feel so jealous? An awkward silence fell over the two as they got ready for bed, and then after that when they were both beneath the covers. Arthur had forced down the last of his whiskey before he laid on his side facing away from Francis, but he didn't feel the usual relaxation that came from alcohol consumption. Actually speaking about what had happened out-loud seemed to have brought it to the forefront of his mind, and he just stared out of the open window, tortured by the quiet. The only thing that broke that silence was the rustle of covers as Francis moved closer and hesitantly laid behind Arthur.

"Is this okay?" He asked softly, draping his arm over Arthur. His confidence to be near the Omega seemed to increase in the dark, and he could see Arthur's pale form tense in the moonlight drifting through the window. In response, Arthur put his hand over Francis' where it rested at his chest, holding him in place. He'd spent too much of today being vocally vulnerable. And just like that he closed his eyes, focusing on Francis' heartbeat against his back until he eventually faded out of consciousness. 


	5. Proposition

"You seem tense." A familiar voice informed Francis as he stood pouring a cup of coffee. He watched the steam rising up from the boiling water and felt the heat of it graze his skin as a pair of arms enveloped him from behind. There was no space between him and the body behind him, making him feel deliciously trapped in the loving embrace. He imagined this very feeling is what prophets of old had felt during divine premonitions, for he had never felt closer to heaven. If he had been tense, that had certainly been remedied as he melted into the touch.

"Better now you're here." 

A chin rested on his shoulder and turned to press a small kiss to his stubbled cheek. "Anything else I can do to ease your troubles?" Another small kiss was pressed to his neck, making him shiver. A cold hand traced his muscles under his shirt, grateful for the smooth skin that allowed the feeling of Francis' racing heartbeat against soft palms. His answer was already pre-meditated by his partner as he was spun around and captured in a kiss, coffee forgotten on the counter-top. His eyes were closed to capture the intimate moment with his finer senses. The kiss was unlike any he'd had before. It was like clockwork machinery in the most beautiful way, both of their movements mirrored and matched in harmonious tandem. He could smell the salty ocean breeze and country fields before he could see the object of his affection pulling away from him, taking his breath away as he went. Arthur had never looked so content as he smiled, happiness reaching his emerald eyes and shining back at the one he loved. They remained in that moment of taking each other in for a second, before Arthur undid Francis' belt with nimble fingers and kneeled in front to him, pulling down his pants as he went. It was only when Arthur's eyes looked up at him again with adoration that the moment became too surreal, too perfect, and Francis was forced into waking with a gasp.

It took a second for the haze of the dream to dissipate into reality, in which he was huddled up to the man featured in his delusion. With a feeling of dread he realised his body had not quite detached itself from his imagination and his cock was straining against his nightclothes, pressed against the curve of Arthur's ass. _Shit,_ he thought, _please don't be awake, please don't be awake_ , he chanted in hope to himself as he slowly extracted himself from his hold on the Omega. He rushed to the bathroom, regrettably slamming the door in his nervous state and praying Arthur didn't wake up, and that his scent wasn't too strong in the bedroom he'd just escaped from. _He'll understand, right? It's completely out my control!_ He reasoned with himself, and found a heavy guilt settling low in his stomach. _He's not going to understand at all, what are you thinking? He's going to think you're a disgusting pervert like the rest of them._ He'd already chased off his arousal with that regret now, and instead paced around the bathroom trying not to panic too much. _He knows you'd never do that on purpose, don't be stupid_. He argued with himself, to be countered by _you've only just started to earn his trust, he's going to think you're taking advantage. You'll never get to ask him on a date, now._ Where had that last thought come from? His racing mind and sick feeling were halted by a knock on the bathroom door.

"Are you alright, Francis?" Arthur asked, concern heavy in his tone. 

"I'm fine." He answered, strained.

There was an awkward moment of silence wherein Francis started to deeply overthink. "You don't sound fine." Another silence passed and Arthur sighed. "Can I come in?"

Francis wanted desperately to say no, but he felt he'd forfeited his right to his own private space when he'd invaded Arthur's. "Oui." 

The door opened tentatively, and Arthur had clueless worry written all over him as he stood there, innocent, in his nightclothes. "You look like a deer in the headlights, what's happened?" The Alpha gave him a wary look, the way he does when he thinks someone is keeping something from him, and Arthur seemed to realise he wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon so he carried on. If he didn't just force himself to talk about this now, it would linger between them for some time. "Is it because of..." He trailed off, then his eyes darted to Francis' crotch. He knew it was immature, but he didn't just want to blurt it out all undignified. Francis' swift turn away and shameful nod was answer enough, though a little irritating. At least he was mature enough to say _something_. "Has it never happened to you before?" 

Francis turned back to the other man with confusion rather than the shame he had adorned only seconds ago. "What? No, it's happened before."

"Okay." Arthur considered that answer. "So I'm guessing the issue is you're embarrassed that you weren't alone when it did happen?" Francis looked at the ground, unwilling to make eye-contact with his accuser. Arthur was completely befuddled by the performance. He had thought Francis would have been through this many times, being as handsome and flirtatious as he is. It must be exhausting if he reacted like this every time. "Doesn't this happen when you're with a significant other?" He knew he was being informal and detached with his chosen words, but he figured it was the only way to get through this comfortably. It was something he'd learned early on in his career. 

"I haven't had a significant other for quite some time." Francis replied, and it was true. He'd had a few boyfriends and girlfriends in the past, always trying to find _the one_ but they were meaningless really, and as soon as he got his job as a detective and moved in with his friends he'd been practically celibate. He'd never had dreams about any of his past partners like that though. Dreams with them had been purely sex, but this was different. He'd been in love and _loved in return_ this time, which was far more intimate than any dream he'd had with any of them. "But if I did I would usually- uh..."

"Fuck them?" _So much for dignified language, Kirkland._ Francis nodded and Arthur felt the pain of jealously make it's way through his mind but pushed it down. 

Francis misread the expression on Arthur's face as discomfort and tried to backtrack. "Not that I want to fuck _you_ , I just- I'm sorry. It was completely inappropriate of me."

 _Oh_ , Arthur thought with hurt. "It's not your fault, it's natural. We've both taken sex ed there'd no need to be so _sorry_." Arthur said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice but failed, especially when he added, "maybe you can fuck it out with Natalia, two birds one stone and all that." Then he shut the door, not feeling as much regret about his words as he thought he maybe should. He was considering telling Francis about his heat and his medication before, but after that he definitely knew it wasn't for the best. He'd seen the self-hatred in Francis' expression at having become aroused around him, it was one he himself adopted frequently, and he certainly didn't want a repeat of that. Maybe he'd have to face his fear of a heat facility after all. Everyone made sacrifices every now and then and he'd come too far to give up because of this.

He simply waited in bitter silence until Francis was out of the bathroom before going in himself, not exchanging a word with the other detective. Francis himself felt awful, thinking Arthur's behaviour was an indicator that he was disgusted with the other man and trying to hide it. So, without trying to engage Arthur in further interaction he just put on his uniform and left for work. 

When he got there he was almost glad for the classical background music that filled the building, forcing his mind into a sense of calm. It wasn't that he was glad to be away from Arthur, because he wasn't, but he couldn't handle seeing that look on the Omega again, at least not any time soon. So, he decided to paint on a happy face as he approached the front desk. "Anything interesting happening, Iryna?"

The blonde woman offered Francis a shy smile. "Nothing yet, but it is only six thirty."

Francis nodded, then drummed his fingers on the desk where he was leaning towards her. "Is that offer to sit with you a while still standing? I'm on call for anything important and can do my work from the spare computer next to you. Plus, I could use the company."

Her face seemed to light up at that. "Of course!" She gestured to the chair and empty computer next to her, presumably where an ex-employee had once sat but had pissed off one of the higher ups. Iryna seemed perfectly content with the workload on her own, though. Was probably more efficient with her own system if anything. Francis gladly took the seat and found it was definitively more comfortable than the one he had in his own work-space, which made sense since the receptionists spent all day here.

"What time do you get here?" Francis asked. She was always the first and last person he saw on his shifts and was worried the woman knew nothing of herself outside of the job. There musn't have been an inch of this area that Iryna didn't know by heart. Anything and anyone of importance came to her notice first and foremost.

"Five a.m." She replied, matter of fact. "I have to get here to greet everybody, and make sure everything stays in it's proper order." _Interesting,_ Francis thought. _Maybe you're more important than you come across._ "It's not so bad. I like the mornings, everything's always so peaceful. That, and the night shift staff are always so happy to see me coming in, because it means they get to go home." She chuckled, and Francis followed suit. 

"I would be exhausted if I were you, handling everyone that comes through the door." He logged in to the computer in front of him as he spoke, checking to see if there were any emails but there wasn't anything. 

"I do far more than that." She said, typing away at her keyboard, already far more endowed with work than Francis had been the last few days he'd been there. "Every complaint, every issue not pertaining to security, every question or inquiry comes through me. Not to mention the amount of phone-calls that come through daily."

"It seems this whole place would fall apart with you, Iryna." Francis assessed, making her cheeks colour slightly. It was true, though, he knew. Anything that happened of consequence passed by Iryna on it's way to Ivan or even Natalia. She was the one to contact the authorities and take all the calls. He wondered what complaints there were, and just how many, and just how much Iryna knew. 

"Hopefully we'll never have to find out." She spared him a glance of amusement before going back to her screen. "How did things go yesterday? Is your husband alright, if you don't mind me asking?" Francis wonders if they had told her the situation over the phone or wether she was just as blind about the details as he had been.

"He's fine, just a little shaken, I think." That much was true. Arthur was definitely affected by the events of yesterday but he knew the Omega was unwilling to let Francis help him anymore than he already had. "He's strong so I'm certain he'll be alright. Thanks for asking." Francis would have felt cared about if he had no ulterior motive for being there. It was entirely likely that Iryna genuinely cared for the people that comprised the company, but it was far more likely, in the circumstances, that she remembered the information that could be useful. Where Natalia was impulsive, confident and controlling, Iryna was quiet, calculating and knowledgable. Both of them seemed to know how to get what they wanted from the people around them, and Francis had to remember to be conscious of the fact that this was the only other person in the world Ivan trusted. 

"I'm glad to hear it. You must care for him very much."

"Well, I love him." Francis insisted. "What makes you say that?"

She smiled to herself. "Nothing, really. I just hear there's a man with a broken nose that could attest to how much love you have." 

Francis' eyes widened in surprise. "I don't-"

"It's alright." Iryna interrupted, then turned to Francis and covered his hand with hers, giving him a look of sympathy and speaking in a sweet, kind tone. "You must understand that this company has enemies, Francis. We were simply being thorough." Then she gave him a re-assuring smile and went back to her work, typing out a complaint form regarding a maintenance issue. 

Francis sat back in his chair and contemplated that information. They must have had someone follow him when he'd left to make sure he wasn't passing information on. He hadn't even noticed that anyone was tracing him, despite his detective instincts. He was too busy worrying about Arthur. He laughed to himself, not believing that the one thing he did to not gain trust from these people was the thing that sealed it. "I understand. My first day involved a data leak after all." He said, then received an email about a case of workplace harassment, which he had to go and take interviews for, so he logged out of the computer and got up. "I'm sorry to leave you, Iryna, but I have to go and deal with-"

"The harassment on fourth, yes."

"Exactly. Would you like to have lunch together? On me."

She gave him a look of genuine fondness. "That sounds great."

"Brilliant. I'll come back at noon."

"Actually I have to have lunch at eleven, because I have a phone meeting at eleven forty-five. Is that alright?"

"That's perfectly fine." Then he was off towards the elevator, hoping that Iryna really trusted him, and wasn't just harvesting his weaknesses.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arthur was sat fully dressed at his kitchen counter, looking through a furniture catalogue that had been on the coffee table. He'd never be able to fit any of this ridiculously expensive stuff in his apartment in New York, but he imagined some of the displays would match the walls currently surrounding him quite nicely. There were even a few paintings he liked and would have at his home if he cared enough about it. _You should,_ the small voice of Francis informed him in his head. The inner voice was a recent addition that he couldn't seem to shake, and he often imagined the incorrigible frenchman disapproving of his taste, or lack thereof. He had been admiring a painting of a river scene when there was an abrasively loud knock at the door that made him jump as the silence around him was shattered. 

He opened the door to find Alfred standing there, in full uniform. "Hey, Arthur!"

"Hello, Alfred." He responded slowly, unsure as to why this golden retriever of a man was standing before him. "Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to drive with me?"

Arthur considered saying no, as he was currently in the midst of being moody, but then he figured it wouldn't help anyone, least of all himself and Francis if he continued on that path. "Alright. Wait in the car I'll be two minutes."

"Sure thing!" Then the Alpha was swanning off as Arthur shut the door. He sighed as he put on his coat, and took the patches out of his coat pocket then put them over his wrists. They stuck to him via cool, peppermint scented gel and they felt odd but not too bad. He knew his scent was getting stronger by the day, and he needed to go back to the fragrance store to get something to cover it, but he felt uneasy at the thought. With a start he also came to a very uncomfortable realisation. His scent was the reason Francis had... _reacted_ the way he had this morning. The reason the Alpha had been forced to look and feel so disgusted.

"Fuck. It's my fault." Arthur whispered to himself, and started to feel bad, but pushed it aside so that he could go and join Alfred without looking like he'd just kicked a puppy. When he got into the car Alfred's leg was bouncing with what looked like nerves, but it couldn't be. Arthur was sure the young man wasn't familiar with the feeling of being nervous."Where are we going?"

"Oh, right." Alfred responded, as if he'd forgotten that he'd actually asked Arthur to a ride-along. He started the car and drove off slowly, surveying the streets. The car was unnervingly quiet, which was especially concerning when it came to Alfred. 

"What's going on?"

Alfred let out a sigh, as if he was relieved. "I'm glad you brought it up. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay?" Arthur was really starting to worry but he didn't let it show on his face.

"I got a call yesterday from the mall."

"Oh."

Alfred continued on as if Arthur hadn't made any noise. "To take this guy away, this real scumbag. I had to review some of the cctv footage too." He stopped speaking and glanced at Arthur, wanting the other to fill in the gaps. 

"I see." Arthur glanced at the car door handle and wondered how much damage he would take from jumping out of the moving car right now. "What is it you want to talk to me about, exactly?"

Alfred looked extremely awkward, to the point that Arthur actually found it a little amusing. "This guy assaulted an Omega in a store."

"Spit it out, Alfred."

"I wanted to make sure you're alright!" Alfred rushed out. "I saw what he did and what happened and it was so-" He cut himself off with a frustrated huff. "Francis had the right idea with him, I honestly don't know how he didn't just-" The Alpha clenched his fist in a way that Arthur assumed meant strangled, then he put both hands back on the wheel and gave Arthur a small smile. "Don't tell anyone at the department that, though." Alfred was always over-protective of his friends, and Matthew too, though he had learned the hard way that Matthew didn't need anyone protecting him, thank you very much. He had the feeling that Arthur was the same as his brother in that way, but he felt as if he should offer his support nonetheless. 

"I wouldn't dream of it." Arthur said, and didn't know what else he was supposed to say. Way worse things had happened to him on cases, and usually he just internalised it and never brought it up again. It was never the case that the people around him forced him to talk about stuff and actually cared how he was doing. "I'm doing alright. Have you let him go yet?"

"Let him go?" Alfred sounded deeply confused. "You're not going to press charges?"

Arthur felt a sudden and frankly concerning spike of frustration at the phrase. "Look, I got this from my husband, and I _certainly_ don't need it from you. It's my choice not to do that, and if you can't accept that then let me get out here and I'll walk home."

Alfred looked shocked at the outburst from the other man. "No, no, it's totally your choice. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset-" He pinched the bridge of his nose and calmed himself down. "I'm sorry. I just think Francis gave him enough justice."

"Well, he certainly won't be doing it again that's for sure. The guy complained and cried about his nose the whole time he was in the back. It's always the most cowardly ones." Alfred observed, then adopted a more jolly tone, trying to shift the conversation and cheer Arthur up rather than piss him off further. "How's the new car?"

Arthur was grateful for that. "It's nice. Francis seems to like it too."

"Good! I saw those flowers on your lawn, they look real nice."

Arthur smiled at that. "I like to think so." He paused, then said, "I have to thank you for last night again, too. I really can't stand those bugs."

"Nah, I get it. I hate them too." Alfred admitted. "I always used to get Matty to take them away. He always refused to kill them."

"Sounds like him." Arthur laughed and Alfred did too, glad they had returned to normalcy after Arthur's outburst. 

"I'm glad you and Francis moved here, Arty. I don't have all that many friends 'round here since it's such a small place." Alfred admitted and Arthur suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for the American.

"We're glad you're our friend." Arthur said, feeling only slight guilt that their friendship was built on lies. "So, what are we looking for?"

"Nothing, really. We're just waiting for someone to call something in so we can rush there but I figured in the mean time we could hang out to the radio."

"Oh." _So people actually do this? Just spend time together doing nothing?_ "Okay." Arthur felt a little warm inside, knowing that Alfred was choosing to spend the with him for no reason other than he was considered a friend. 

They cruised around the neighbourhood for a while, music turned up high and windows rolled down, letting in the air. There weren't any calls, so they spent their time uninterrupted and engaged in conversation about any and everything to do with the neighbourhood. Alfred recommended a person he knew for everything from his favourite plumber to his favourite hairdresser. Arthur knew more about the neighbourhood from this drive with Alfred than he knew about New York after all his years living there. His mind had completely been distracted from that morning until there was an advert on the radio for French lessons and it reminded him of Francis. Now that his head was clear and he was thinking about it he couldn't get the thought out of his head that he'd acted unfairly. He couldn't get mad at Francis for not wanting to sleep with him, that was ridiculous. He'd just been hurt, that's all. For some reason he'd started to like being around Francis a lot. His scent was different to any of the Alphas he'd smelled before, and so much more enticing. Not only that, but when he was wrapped in the Alpha's embrace his worries seemed to abandon him and he felt wanted. He'd let himself fall for the charade and that was hardly Francis' fault. He needed to apologise. 

"Alfred, do you think you could drop me off by Ivan's building so I can have lunch with Francis? I really need to talk to him."

"Of course! It's just reaching noon now so he should be going on a break soon if he's on normal break hours. Hopefully we'll catch him!"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you for lunch, Francis." Iryna said earnestly, having not been taken for lunch almost since she started. When she'd started working there she used to go the local coffee shop but now she just brought something homemade she could have at her desk, so the invitation had been most gratefully accepted.

"Than you for showing me that delightful little café!" Francis responded, smiling. It had been a lovely vintage-style bakery that Francis would not have known about had Iryna not suggested it. He'd even bought a _forgive me_ croissant for Arthur that was in the most adorable little paper bag.

"Where have you been?" 

Iryna rolled her eyes at the accusatory tone of her sister, who was coming towards them at a fast pace. "We've been to lunch. Nothing to get yourself in a knot over."

Natalia tutted at her sister then walked up to Francis and toyed with his tie in an act of coyness. "You never ask _me_ to lunch."

"I'm with you all day." Francis said in his defence. "If you want lunch tomorrow I would happily comply."

Natalia grinned in a particularly predatory manner. "Perhaps. I can think of another way you could make it up to me."

"Natalia!" Iryna protested as she sat back behind her computer, never having been a fan of her sister's forwardness.

"Oh, hush Iryna. Not everyone can be repressed and boring like you." Then she tugged Francis by his tie into an empty room in a corridor at the back of building. 

She let go of him once they were inside so she could shut and lock the door, effectively trapping him. His first instinct was to check for any alternative exits, but there weren't any. Even the window was too thick to shatter and jump from. The walls of a room had never felt so close before. "Do you enjoy making me jealous?"

"Not all all." Francis said, turning to her and weighing out his options.

"You seem to." She accused, stepping towards him as he automatically took a step back, which only seemed to spur her on more, like a lioness enjoying the hunt. 

The tension in the air was thick and made everything feel that much more claustrophobic. "That isn't my intention, truly."

"You're lying." She insisted. "You enjoy it."

"Is there a reason-" He started to question her, but was cut off by her lips abruptly meeting his, giving him no chance to deny her the pleasure. Shock made him loose his balance for a moment, which she used to her advantage and pushed him back into the lone desk occupying the room. His eyes closed as she kissed him, and he tried his hardest to not push her away and offend her. Behind his eyes, he tried to think of anything to get him away from this moment, but she was coming on far too strongly, pushing herself into him too much to be ignored. Instead, his mind took an alternative route, and he found himself imaging short blonde hair and light pink lips against his own. His hands rested on her waist, wanting to push her away but not daring to. His only comforting thought was that it was him in this position and not Arthur, but it didn't help much. 

They were thankfully interrupted by the familiar static of his radio. "Francis, your husband is here." Came the voice of Iryna, much less soft and kind than it had been that morning and at their lunch. She was disappointed in him, he knew, but not as much as he was disappointed in himself. He had hoped to avoid any actual physical contact with Natalia, despite Arthur's insistence that he use her to get ahead in the case. He felt filthy, and his skin was clammy and cold as Natalia finally detached herself from him, making an angry noise as she did so.

"Ignore it." Then she went in for another kiss but Francis knew it was coming this time and pushed on her waist gently to keep her away.

"I won't." He said, resolutely, then moved from the desk and to the door, unlocking it as quickly as he possibly could and rushing out, feeling sick to his stomach, which only intensified when he saw Arthur.

"Francis, I- you look like you're about to pass out, what's wrong?" Arthur was immediately at his side but he held out a hand to keep him from touching him.

"I'm alright. Why are you here?"

Arthur looked confused and a little hurt by the public rejection but he understood it. He'd thought Francis would have gotten over this morning a little, but maybe it had hit him more deeply than Arthur had first suspected. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me? I wanted to apologise..." The Omega trailed off as he looked over Francis' shoulder and saw Natalia coming from the direction Francis had just rushed from, giving him a smug grin. He looked back to Francis then and then tried to get closer. Francis moved away from him again but not quickly enough for him to not pick up the scent of another Omega on his partner, staining the uniform. _It's too late. You made him do this, so you have no right to be upset._ Arthur then flickered his eyes to Francis' lips, spotting the gloss that was smudged there. 

"I had lunch with Iryna already." Francis admitted. "I bought you-"

"This?" Natalia asked, coming up to Francis' side holding a little brown paper bag. "You dropped it when you ran off so hastily." She added, annoyance in her tone. Clearly she was getting weary of Francis evading her advances. He wouldn't be surprised if she bit him right then and there in order to assert her claim over him, not that he would _ever_ let her. She handed the bag to Arthur, the contents having been crushed in her grip on the way over. He didn't bother opening it.

"Thanks." He muttered, not knowing what else to do. He wanted to cry, to scream even, but that wouldn't be good for public image, so instead he just breathed in deeply and put a smile on his face, the insincerity of which was caught only by Francis because he knew him so well. 

"Arthur-" Francis started, words sounding strained but not too much, as he couldn't risk upsetting Natalia.

"Don't worry." Arthur said with feigned passiveness. "I can just call Alfred to pick me up sooner than expected."

Francis wanted to protest, to fall down to his knees and beg Arthur to listen, to understand that it wasn't what it looked like. Being on this case with him had re-ignited that old flame between them and he was only just starting to think he could win Arthur over and maybe ask him on that date, but now it didn't look like he was going to get that opportunity. He had been trying to figure out why hw hadn't dreamed about anyone like he had dreamed of Arthur last night in a long while, and he knew it was because even his subconscious was serious when it came to romance. He hadn't been in a single relationship since meeting Kirkland all those years ago and he continuously drew it up to factors out of his control, but right at his moment he realised it was nothing short of desire for the other man. Maybe even something more. That devastated look in Arthur's eyes was clawing at him, and all he wanted to do was drag the other into his arms and never let go. He wanted to take that pain and burn it away to cruel embers, watch it drift away as he replaced it with comforting touches, sweet nothings, kisses like his dreams. The last thing he wanted to do was nothing, like he was now, but if he blew this, and cost Arthur everything he worked for then he'd lose him forever. There was no winning, but Francis was at least choosing the option that would get Arthur what he wanted alongside the hurt. 

No-one had spoken for what seemed like the longest time when loud footsteps interrupted. "Arthur. What are you doing here?" Ivan asked, wrapping a scarf around his neck as he walked towards the three from the elevator. 

"I was going to take my husband to lunch, but it seems that's no longer on the cards." Arthur answered, his tone calm, unbothered. "Terribly sorry for just showing up like this, Ivan. I hope I'm not causing too much of a disturbance."

"Not at all." Ivan said with a grin. "I was about to take my own lunch break if you care to join me?"

Arthur was surprised by the offer and so was Francis. "I don't see any reason why not." 

Ivan turned to Francis and Natalia then, giving his sister a reproving look and then one of concern to Francis. "Perhaps you should have a glass of water, Francis. You're looking a little pale." Then he turned to Arthur and held his arm out, which Arthur gratefully linked with. He was about two feet taller than Arthur was, so he had to reach a little but he didn't mind as much as he usually would. The Alpha chivalry suddenly seemed far less insulting after seeing that smile on Natalia's face. Nothing had ever felt that purposely vindictive. "Shall we leave?"

"Of course." Arthur smiled politely, almost on autopilot, falling back on etiquette lessons from boarding school that he had resented but was now almost grateful for. _Almost_. He flashed a smile at Francis, and then would could pass for the same at Natalia before he turned with Ivan and went out into the street. Everything seemed a little distant as they walked together, as if he were hiding inside himself, viewing his life from behind a vail. "Where are we going?"

"An Italian restaurant I'm very fond of. They give me free dining in exchange for us helping with their IT issues when they have them." 

"Kind of you." Arthur said, finding it fitting that the only notion of kindness Ivan held was fair exchange. The man had likely never committed a selfless deed in his life.

"It helps that they're so close by." Ivan said, before turning abruptly and pulling Arthur inside a huge stone building with marble pillars. Vague smells of garlic and tomato danced on the air inside but Arthur was only slightly aware of it, as well as the gentle music swirling around the tables, making the experience come together nicely. Ivan told the waiter that greeted them he needed to add a plus one to his reservation and the waiter nodded, smiling as he led them to a table at the back surrounded by plants and golden lights. The seats were upholstered in a rich red velvet and were like sitting on a cloud Arthur found out, as he sat in the chair Ivan had pulled out for him. When the Russian had sat opposite him and ordered them a wine, Arthur took a moment to appreciate the atmosphere.

"This seems rather luxurious." He commented. 

Ivan smiled at him from over his glass of wine. "It is. Does Francis not bring you places like this?"

Arthur huffed a bitter laugh at the mention of Francis that he didn't mean to come out. He tried to backtrack over it with a light-hearted shrug. "He prefers home-made ventures. More personal that way."

"Sounds like something a man with no money would say." Ivan said, then laughed. Arthur felt obliged to laugh with him, though the sentiment behind the joke was not something he agreed with.

"He does the best he can."

"You're very loyal." Ivan commented, looking at Arthur like he was something that needed to be figured out rather than an actual person. The unsaid _despite the fact my sister is all over him_ didn't go unheard by Arthur.

"I believe he's a good man." Arthur said with honest sincerity. "If anyone deserves loyalty it's him."

Ivan raised an eyebrow at Arthur, surprised by the steadfastness with which he stood by Francis. He'd never trusted anyone that he wasn't related to before, and wondered how he could ever find someone to trust that much by chance. "So you are greedy with your loyalty?"

Arthur laughed. "I'd say selective." He took a sip of the wine offered and honestly thought it tasted the exact same as the cheap stuff he'd tried. Wine was never really his thing anyway, but it was the only socially acceptable form of day-drinking so he'd learned to drink it.

"I can understand that. Do you not have family to stand by?"

Arthur's back stiffened at that and he sat up straight, putting the wine down. "I have family, but not that I am undyingly devoted to. Why should I trust a man just because we share blood?" He'd had this argument with himself many times, but always ultimately decided he was in the right for not letting his brothers find him. They had abandoned him and he would do the same to them. The closest thing he had to a family after eleven was the school nurse who gave him an ice-pack every other day for the fights he got himself into, and even then she only did that out of necessity. "That would be foolish. Was it not Cain that murdered Abel after all?"

Ivan smiled at the other man. "You're an interesting man."

"Not particularly." Arthur admitted. 

Ivan simply made a face of disagreement and waived over a waiter, ordering his usual special and when Arthur went to speak held up a hand and ordered the vegetarian alternative of the same thing for him. Arthur simply glared at the man once the waiter had left. "You're displeased."

"I can order for myself." He said, knowing he shouldn't be indignant but unable to help himself in the midst of the slight he'd been dealt. 

Ivan simply chuckled at Arthur as if he were a child arguing that they were old enough to have a glass of champagne with their lunch. It made Arthur's blood boil but he held back for the sake of his career. "Forgive me." There was a moment of silence wherein the Omega simply used all of his will power to not start an argument. "I have a proposition for you, Arthur."

"I'm listening."

"I find your company enjoyable, and I believe you to be a highly capable Omega, am I wrong?"

Arthur looked at Ivan warily. "I didn't know this was an interview, but no, you're not wrong."

"My personal secretary sadly quit a few weeks ago, and I have been in the market for a new one."

"I don't have any secretary credentials." Arthur said, wondering what, exactly, was making Ivan lend him this job.

"But you have the right attitude." _Ah,_ Arthur thought, _you're one of them._ He had met plenty of Alphas like it in his life, and was sure he'd meet many more. As soon as Ivan had seen Arthur's loyalty was a rare thing he had become the Russian's target. He was a prize that the other wanted to win, and likely add to his collection. One didn't get hold of life-shattering information without harvesting the trust of the people around them. "All you would have to do is take my calls, arrange appointments, and other small day-to-day things. I pay well."

Arthur considered it for a moment. This would put him right on Ivan's lap, in the middle of his business, right next to his objective. It would make him just as important as Francis, and might even get him more credit considering he'd gotten the job himself, but that's where the problem lied. "Why me?"

"I like you, Arthur, and your husband has proven himself worthy of his position." Ivan seemed to be completely honest with both of his statements, but Arthur couldn't help distrusting the man. "That, and I've always thought fiesty Omegas do well in positions of power." It was meant to be some sort of compliment, Arthur knows, but it still rubbed him up the wrong way. "It would be a waste for an intelligence like yours to stay at home all day, doing nothing." Arthur could see how this would draw other Omegas in, the promise of a position this close to an Alpha this powerful. He could imagine how some would be enamoured by Ivan's confidence in their intelligence and ability, but not him. It only made Arthur suspicious, but he'd be an idiot to pass up this kind of offer, regardless of the reason behind it. The conflict endured for only a few seconds before he finally admitted to himself that he was never going to say no, but he kept a look of apprehension for his facade.

"I don't have any fancy work clothes."

Ivan grinned in a way that informed Arthur he considered this a win. "I'll take that as an acceptance of the job, then?"

"I'd be honoured to be your secretary, Ivan." He raised his glass and Ivan toasted that with him, proud of his victory just a little too much for comfort. Whatever ulterior motive was behind this was going to bite Arthur on the ass he was sure but he couldn't resist it. At least he was fully aware that it was too good to be true and wasn't naive. 

"Excellent. Go and buy a nice suit for yourself after this and I'll reimburse you tomorrow on your first day. To your new job." Ivan toasted.

"To my new job." Arthur agreed, clinking glasses. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Gilbert, I'm physically incapable of watching anymore movies. My eyes are going to fall out my skull in protest soon." Antonio complained from his spot on the armchair, curled up under a blanket Gilbert had knitted during a phase he'd had. It was the apartment's comfort blanket.

"What else are we supposed to do? Our last idea got us suspended and I really don't fancy going to actual, real-life jail." Gilbert retorted, stretched out on the couch with a tub of ice-cream he kept for break-downs. Usually the other two ended up with it but he'd fully reached his limit over the past few days. The whites of his eyes were red and his skin blotchy from crying at all of Francis' favourite movies. Even the funny ones. _What had these two done to him?_

Antonio sighed and threw his back against the back of the armchair. "I'm beside myself with grief, Gil."

"Yeah, you look really torn up." Gilbert said flatly, looking at his friend who was comfortably situated on memory foam cushions, sighing dramatically. 

"I am!" Antonio insisted, throwing a stray magazine at his friend that had been resting on the table. It knocked the new spoonful of ice cream Gilbert had risen to his mouth and a fresh wave of mourning settled over the German and he felt tears roll down his face again, hot and real.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Gilbert asked, picking up the spoon and the fallen ice-cream with it and putting it in a mug on their coffee table. "I did _nothing_ to you."

"Amigo, you need to calm down." Antonio advised, then got up and lifted Gilbert's legs to sit next to him and rest the albino's legs atop his own when he had done so. He then stretched what blanket he could over his over-emotional friend to share his comfort. This is the same blanket that he and Francis covered themselves in on their movie nights.

"You're right." Gilbert said, but his pout remained nonetheless. 

"I know you're sensitive right now, but we need to figure out another plan." 

"You're gong to get us killed." Gilbert complained.

"Hush, Gilbert. You're being controlled by your emotions." The Spanish Alpha asserted. "I'm trying to come up with a solution."

"We could break into Ludwig's house?" Gilbert suggested, having no safety net between his brain and his mouth to catch all the stupid ideas.

"Something within the parameters of legality would suit us better, sí?" Antonio patted Gilbert's leg with sympathy. There was no reasoning with him when he was like this. A vulnerable Gilbert was a malleable Gilbert and Antonio wasn't about to let the man commit to a life of crime. "We could go over for dinner! Since he's given us nothing else to do it would look innocent enough, right?"

"I could distract him and you could look around!" Gilbert added, nodding at his friend's genius. "I'll call him now." He went to get up before being pulled straight back down and onto Antonio who accepted his friend's weight with a displeased _umph._

"Perhaps a text instead? You sound like you've been swallowing gravel." _From the crying_ went kindly unsaid. 

"Smart." Gilbert took Antonio's advice and text his brother, asking if he and his friend could come over to apologise and share a peace dinner. Ludwig replied almost instantly, as was his style, saying that he would permit it. "We're in!" Gilbert said, triumphant. 

"Good! How about we play a game or something to cheer you up before we go? I don't want my boss thinking I spend my days off making his big brother cry."

"Alright." Gilbert agreed, thankful for his friend knowing exactly what he needed. They played a few games of scrabble that Antonio obviously let him win, then took turns taking a shower, got dressed and by the time they were done they were ready to set off for Ludwig's house, so they did exactly that. 

They both stood in front of Ludwig's front door for about 5 minutes before either of them made a move.

"I don't know if I can do this anymore." Antonio whispered to Gilbert, to which the German gave him an incredulous look.

"Are you kidding me right now, Toni?" He asked in the loudest whisper known to man. 

"I mean, I know he's your brother but he's also a police Captain and-"

"This was your idea-"

"We could end up on parole-"

"This is all your fault-"

"Maybe we should go-"

"Gentlemen." Their quiet squabble was interrupted by Ludwig who opened the door and stared down at them disapprovingly. Gilbert just plastered on a big smile and hugged his younger brother, though it wasn't returned. The whole while, in fact, Ludwig was staring at Antonio with a look that said _if you try to hug me too I'll kill you and get away with it._ Antonio didn't feel like gambling with his life tonight so he simply waited until they were both let into the house.

"You have a wonderful home." Antonio commented.

"You've been here before." Ludwig reminded him instead of accepting the compliment like someone with normal social skills. 

"Well, what are we having for dinner?" Gilbert asked, sensing that Antonio was waiting for a hole to swallow him up forever. From then onwards, Gilbert took the primary roll of the operation, and kept Ludwig confined to the kitchen while he tasted everything in front of him and was twice as clumsy as normal so Ludwig couldn't leave him by himself. Antonio took that time to go upstairs, saying he was going to bathroom and went into Ludwig's home office, searching through everything and putting it back where he found it as he found it as quickly as he could. It was starting to seem hopeless and probably looked suspicious after five minutes, but then he came across a file taped to the underside of the top drawer, a trick he'd learned in his first few years. _This has to be what I'm looking for,_ he thought as he ripped it off only to find that it wasn't a confidential file or a record but a brochure for a suburb in California. He shrugged and took a photo of it anyway, then put it back in place and left. 

The dinner was going nicely enough when Ludwig excused himself to the bathroom. As soon as he was out of sight, Gilbert turned to Antonio.

"Did you find anything?" 

"Only this." Antonio answered, pulling up the photo on his phone and showing Gilbert.

"What makes you think that's any kind of important? That's _literally_ nothing, Toni."

Antonio glared at his friend. "It was taped under a drawer. Hidden. It _must_ be important."

Gilbert gave him a skeptical look but took the phone, and held it an arm's length, trying to get the words to focus. "This is just a brochure for a suburb."

"Well spotted." Antonio said, annoyed at how dense Gilbert got when he was emotionally overwhelmed. "Have you considered that it's just _maybe_ the secondary location?"

"Oh..." Gilbert nodded as he started to understand. "Wait, what do you expect us to do with that information? You can't expect us to fly out to California."

"Why not?" Antonio asked, and held a hand up when Gilbert went to protest. "No, just think of it. We go there, we find Francis-"

"We get followed, we get him killed." Gilbert finished for him. "I don't think we should be so rash with this! What if Luddy's just planning a surprise move?"

"No likely, Gil. He worked hard to get to his position he's not just going to leave."

Gilbert looked unsure of the next phase of the plan, not wanting to uproot everything and spend all of his savings on what might be a wild goose-chase. "I don't know if we can really afford-"

"You can't." For the second time that night the bold tones of Ludwig interrupted their conversation. He stood in the doorway, arms folded and looking very angry. "Next time you invade someone's office remember to lock the door behind you, Carrierdo. How either of you ever made it onto the force I'll never know."

"Lud, we can explain."

"No. This was your chance to explain, and you've throw it out of the window. What on earth were you thinking?" He looked between the two and their shared looks of feigned innocence were starting to give him the telltale hum in the back of his head of a migraine. "Both of you are going under house arrest. Clearly you can't be trusted-"

"Is he in California?" Antonio asked, a sudden wave of confidence overtaking him. They'd already been caught now so there was no use trying to hide it. 

"I can't-"

"Please." Gilbert pleaded, and Ludwig looked to the strained voice of his brother to find him bordering on the verge of tears. He'd only ever seen Gilbert cry twice in his entire life, and he couldn't believe his eyes. He felt guilt slowly seep into the surprise and then he found himself remembering all the times Gilbert had gotten himself in trouble for Ludwig. He could at least give him this one thing, and then they would be even for life. 

"He's in California."

"We have to go-"

"No!" He interrupted his brother with a sharp, commanding tone. The same he used when his dogs chewed up his chair legs. "You will _not_ go and find him, you will stay _here,_ in New York. You'll stay in a hotel for the next few weeks under strict supervision and not be allowed to leave, or so help me god, Gilbert-" He gave his brother an extremely exasperated glare then. 

"I'm sorry." Gilbert said, hating that his little brother felt the need to look out for him. He should be the one doing this for Ludwig, not the other way around. He felt terrible. 

"I'm sorry too, if that matters." Antonio piped up, earning him a double glare from both brothers at the same time. "Nevermind."

Ludwig just shook his head and rubbed his temples to try and ease the pain mounting up in his head. "Both of you go to the living room I'll call the station and have a squad car pick you up and take you to the hotel. Promise me, _really_ promise me you won't continue down this path. I cannot help you if you get caught doing something illegal in this insane venture of yours."

"We promise." Gilbert said for them both, then led Antonio to the living room where they both sat on the couch.

"He seems upset." Antonio said, feeling very awkward.

"You'd be upset too if people went rooting through your stuff and undermined your authority."

Antonio looked down at the carpet guiltily. "I didn't know that was going to happen, I'm sorry."

Gilbert sighed then smiled at his friend. "No point in holding a grudge, I guess. We're gonna be stuck together in this hotel for god knows how long so best to get over it quickly, I say."

"You're the best, Gil."

"Thanks."

Antonio put a hand on his friend's arm then and squeezed. "No, I really mean it. We'd be lost without you. You're our big brother too." Then they went back to silence as GIlbert started to silently cry at how sweet the admission was and Antonio did the decent thing and pretended it wasn't happening. It didn't matter if they were about to be confined, at least they were together, and at least they knew Francis was safe in California and not in some war-torn wasteland. For the first time since Francis left, he felt like they could actually get through this.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arthur admired the suit before him as it hung in the wardrobe. It was a little on the expensive side, but Ivan had insisted, telling him to that if it wasn't worth at least the combined price of the two least expensive suits in the store it wasn't worth wearing. The fabric was black and soft to the touch and very professional, the one of only two quarrels Arthur had was that it was fitted, going in at his waist in a way that accentuated his body. He actively never wore fitted clothes at his job, wanting his form to look as muscular and straight as possible so he was never mistaken for weak ever again. This suit hugged his body in a way that made that visage impossible, no matter how flattering he found it when it was on. He'd worn it only briefly after taking it home and almost didn't recognise his own body in the stylish attire, and quickly changed so he could put it away and not linger too long on the fact that _other people_ would actually see him wearing it. _It doesn't matter,_ Arthur told himself, _they'll always see you as lesser regardless of what you wear, didn't that point get across yesterday?"_ Forcing himself to stop his thoughts he instead let go of the garment and decided to rectify the other problem, which was that the shirt he'd gotten alongside hadn't fit. He could have tried it on in the shop, but he wasn't partial to clothes shopping, and figured a medium would do nicely. Evidently, he was wrong, as the shirt was long enough but didn't account for the muscles in his arms the way his blazer did, and the fabric was constricting and uncomfortable. Knowing that Francis had boxier shirts, he figured he'd found a solution to his problem, and took one of the many shirts from Francis' side of the wardrobe and found that if he rolled up the sleeve ever so slightly he could get away with wearing one of these instead. It wouldn't make up for the silhouette of his body his blazer made, but it would make him feel better to have the freedom of movement beneath. 

"It looks better on you than it does on me. How is that fair?"

Arthur spun around to find Francis at the door the wardrobe, leaning against the frame with a flirtatious smile. "I don't know what you've been doing at work, but it isn't generally polite to spy on people when they're trying on clothes in their own home."

Francis laughed. "This _is_ my own home. Besides, it's not as if you're naked." But he turned and sat on the bed to give Arthur his privacy nonetheless. He'd entered the house expecting to find Arthur in the office but was surprised to see that the man was just trying on clothes instead of digging around in piles of evidence. All he wanted was a chance to explain himself after the way Arthur had seen him earlier. He'd spent the rest of the day evading Natalia's advances by sitting with Iryna, despite how obviously disappointed in him she was. Luckily there'd been no serious issues that required him to leave, made up or otherwise, so he'd been safe, but he'd felt terrible. It was only made worse by the fact that Ivan swooped in like some hero to take Arthur out. Jealousy wasn't exactly a foreign notion to Francis, but it wasn't one he felt often. It was, in fact, something he strived not to feel. Even the word made his stomach churn, because his Sire would blurt it out in every half-assed apology he made to him and his Dam after a particularly bad punishment. He didn't always apologise, but when he had it was always, _you know how I get when you make me jealous._ Francis imagined jealousy was one of the cruelest emotions as a child, and he'd tried intensely to rid himself of it, but watching Arthur link with Ivan and walk away so coldly had made something itch in him that he couldn't get rid of. "I didn't fuck Natalia." He said loudly so Arthur could hear him. 

Unseen, Arthur's movements of taking off and replacing his patches halted for a second, then resumed as he put on a new shirt and stole the one he'd tried on to put with his new suit. "Sorry for the interruption." It was far from what he wanted to reply but he knew he had no rational argument to contend with so he simply sunk back down into the numbness he had conjured earlier. 

"That's not what I meant." Francis replied, wanting to follow up with the reason why but not daring to. 

After putting his normal outfit back on Arthur walked into the bedroom and pinned Francis with a questioning look. "What did you mean, then?"

The Alpha shrugged. _I don't want to fuck her._ "I don't know. She's getting impatient with me." 

Arthur nodded, then walked out of the room, Francis getting up and following. "Are you going to?"

"I don't know." He repeated, feeling oddly vulnerable. He didn't want to say yes because that would make him look like he viewed sex as nothing, simply an act to be utilised, and that wasn't true. However he also couldn't outright say no and have Arthur believe he would rather save his dignity than their win. "How was lunch with Ivan?" He finally asked, having been playing scenarios of what had happened and what they'd talked about all day. When Arthur had suggested he sleep with Natalia he didn't think that was because he had his eye on Ivan. The thought of it made him feel pathetically jealous. 

"It was nice." Arthur replied, keeping it vague, simple, _calm_. Francis found it infuriating. "He offered me a job."

"Doing what?" The Alpha asked as they reached the kitchen.

"He wants me to be his secretary."

"That's insane."

Arthur turned to Francis then with a sharp glare. "I'm just as capable as you are."

"I know you are it's just-"

"It's just you don't think I am." Arthur interjected. 

"He's just a very dangerous man-"

"He's wanted for blackmail, not murder." Arthur reminded him, opening the door to the fridge with a little more force than necessary. He pulled out a small plastic container and and threw it on the work top in front of Francis.

"That doesn't matter." The Alpha argued. How could Arthur not see that Ivan was completely deplorable? Francis picked up the coat that Arthur had put on the kitchen chair so he could sit down when he saw something flitter down to the floor and leaned down to pick it up. A phone number. "What's this?" He asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. Was Arthur seriously on a personal contact basis with Ivan now? Cold, bitter hatred for the Russian started to unfurl in his gut. "Is this Ivan's number?"

"It's nothing. Here, I brought you this back. Pristine condition." It was a perfectly cut slice of red-velvet cake with gold-leaf scattered on the surface of the frosting. It contrasted greatly with the peace-offering Natalia had destroyed on it's way to it's owner. Francis didn't know why Arthur was throwing the gesture he'd made earlier back in his face but he was definitely hurt by it. 

"He's still a criminal." Francis argued. "A _high-earning_ one perhaps, but a criminal nonetheless." He knew it was out of line but he said it anyway. 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Francis pushed the cake away from him. "What do you think it means?"

Arthur smiled a perfectly resentful smile as he answered. "I think you're calling me a gold-digger." Francis didn't disagree, just kept an unfaltering gaze on the Omega. "You're just like the rest of them, you know." Arthur said, cradling that sweet lack of emotion in him. It was holding up wonderfully against Francis' fury "Any and everything I do here is for this case, just like you."

 _Not anymore,_ Francis thought. When he'd taken this case for Arthur's sake, he hadn't imagined that he would ever start to feel romantic attraction towards him again, but after the last few days talking to him, watching him laugh, feeling him relax in his arms, he'd fallen just as hard if not harder than the first time. "You life shouldn't revolve around work."

"Ah, so I _should_ be a gold-digger then?"

"You're _deliberately_ twisting my words-"

"No, I'm not!" Arthur shouted. Really shouted, for the first time in a while. He hated shouting. It always rang back in his ears with the echo of his parents and made him feel like a child again. "I fucking hate you." God, he hadn't shouted _I hate you_ like that since he was a child and his Dam sold his only toy car to buy more alcohol. He didn't hate Francis, far from it. Every time he looked at Francis his day became a little brighter and as much as he'd been protecting himself from it all day, smelling Natalia on him had crushed him. He'd wanted to grab Francis and claim him right there in front of her. He'd wanted to kiss him and never stop, not just like at Alfred's but _really_ kiss him. Even the thought of their accidental kiss made his stomach erupt into butterflies. It was embarrassing and intense and _too much!_

"If it's consolation, I hate you too!" Francis shouted back petulantly. He glared at Arthur and expected them to erupt into further arguments but found that the other just cracked a reluctant smile and started laughing. "What are you finding so funny?" Francis asked, pride a little wounded.

"No, I'm sorry. We just remind me of when I used to fight with my brothers." Arthur said, and it was true. One minute he'd felt jealous and angry and the next he felt bubbles of amusement forcing their way into his brain. Arthur had forgotten what it was like to be so hormonal, and for a second he tried to tell himself that that's all it was, but in reality he knew he couldn't stay angry at Francis for too long. Especially when he looked so much like a child that had been denied ice-cream on a hot day at the beach. "What are we even arguing about?" He asked, and for the first time he felt fully detached from the argument he was in. It had never happened before. There had never been a time when his anger could be so easily halted and diverted, but he couldn't seem to help it, because he wasn't truly angry at the other detective. 

Francis wanted to maintain his righteous anger, but found that Arthur's smile was unfairly wiping him out. The Omega was at an unfair advantage and he never even knew it. "You were being a gold-digger." He informed Arthur, holding the number up between two fingers. Arthur gave him a simultaneously amused and deadpan expression as he took the number and dialled it into his phone in front of Francis so he could see it was the same number, then he put it on speaker.

"Hello?" Matthew's sweet, high voice was like music to Francis' ears. He'd never been so grateful to hear someone speak before, but knowing that it wasn't Ivan made his heart soar. 

"Hello, Matthew." _Oh my God, he has a phone voice_ , Francis thought to himself, _how adorable!_ "I was just checking the number was right so I can add you to my contacts."

"Oh, okay! I'll make sure to add you to mine too! Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all. Sorry for the hastle."

"Not at all." Matthew said and Francis felt all of his muscles relax without having known they were even tense. "I'll speak to you later, then."

"Absolutely, goodbye."

"Bye!" 

Then Arthur hung up and put the phone on the kitchen island between them as an awkward silence reigned wherein Arthur gave Francis an unimpressed look before the Frenchman finally caved. "Okay, you win."

Neither of them said sorry, because both felt their hurt was justified, but the argument seemed to have been put on a back-burner for now. "I do that often." 

Francis rolled his eyes. "Maybe people just let you win often."

Arthur shrugged, smiling. "A victory is a victory. Wether or not you choose to lose is none of my business."

Their conversation turned back to light bickering and conversation after that of the more comfortable variety. An argument like that when they first got here would have ended with Francis receiving the silent treatment, but now it just seemed to weave it's way into their general interaction. Francis was learning that though Arthur tried to hide it vehemently, he was a very emotional man, and his outbursts were felt more deeply than the surface level would suggest. Paired with the fact that Arthur refused to express these emotions for fear of judgement, meant that arguments were unavoidable, but Francis found he didn't mind so much. Resentfully, he rather enjoyed Arthur's look of smug triumph. 

For his part, Arthur was learning that Francis was more patient and understanding that any Alpha he'd ever met. He wore his heart on his sleeve and seemed to detest being angry, making him very easy to read and very difficult to piss off. Perhaps if all Alphas were like Francis his life would have been different. 

Arthur sat at the kitchen counter and talked about his day to Francis while the Alpha made their dinner, and when he'd done that they ate in comfortable quiet. Their small routine was becoming rather pleasant. By the time it reached night the argument was far behind both of them, trodden over and buried beneath polite and interesting conversation. Francis had a made a meal his Dam had taught him to make, and told Arthur about how it was his comfort food, and Arthur had found himself smiling at the enthusiasm Francis had for the things he enjoyed. The man devoted his whole self to anything he was partial to, which were plenty of things including food, literature, history, even his best friends. Arthur didn't think he was as passionate about anything as Francis was about the things he loved. He couldn't have been more different to the other man, but found that it didn't make it hard for them to get along as he would have thought. Francis was the sun, a bright star that shone with love and joy over everything it touched, and Arthur was the earth, blinded but warmed by his golden presence. 

They were sat on the couch together when Francis was accosted by the need to say something. "Do you-" He cleared his throat as he prepared himself for what he was about ask. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"Why would I?" Arthur responded, though not with animosity. The fact he hadn't said _no_ Francis picked up on immediately.

"You walked into the precinct and some cop asked you if you were on the wrong floor, so you cussed him out in front of everyone and then had him fined for workplace harassment. You had your first win within five minutes of walking in that place."

"I remember." The Omega said, smirking.

"What makes you think I looked at you and thought _that's a man who can't take care of himself_?" Francis asked. "If anything that was the moment I knew-" He faltered slightly to stop himself from saying _I wanted to ask you on a date_ , so he could follow up with, "you weren't a man to be messed with, and anyone who stood in your way would learn it quickly."

Arthur looked at his leg where Francis' thigh was pressed against his, close as they were. He remembered that day very well. When that horrid police offer had walked up to him brandishing a look of confidence suited to such an idiot, Arthur had felt his stomach sink. It was par for the course that he would be treated differently, but he'd expected at least a week before the first personal attack. After he'd thoroughly embarrassed the officer and he'd scrambled away, he walked to Lovino's desk who had nodded at him in approval. Arthur hadn't known just how rare that was at the time. The secretary then told Arthur he should put in a formal complaint against that asshole and handed Arthur the paperwork before showing him his desk. He'd had it filled out and given back as soon as he could and Lovino must have had it put the front of the queue because the officer was investigated and fined within the next two days. He and Lovino rarely spoke, but he appreciated the other Omega nonetheless, and knew the feeling was mutual. "You were my first partner after that."

"I was the only one who dared." Francis admitted, grinning. 

"Why?" Arthur asked, looking up and into Francis' eyes to search for honesty.

Francis gulped under the scrutiny and found his eyes darting to Arthur's mouth before going back up. "You commanded the room." The Alpha said, revelling in the memory. "I didn't understand how anyone wouldn't have wanted that kind of righteous fury at their side. I thought I'd have to fight to be your partner but everyone was afraid."

Arthur found only sincerity in the other detective and started to feel himself getting burned under Francis' gaze. "They were afraid I'd book them for harassment."

"No." Francis said, putting his hand over Arthur's where it laid on his knee. "They were afraid you would be better than them. They were weak-minded and some even corrupt, but you? You were a threat, an embodiment of warning."

"I wasn't a threat to you?" Arthur asked, leaning towards Francis slowly. They were only inches apart.

Francis shook his head gently. "I had nothing to fear. You stood for everything I believed in, and you stood for it unwaveringly. You were Achilles with no heel."

Arthur smiled, feeling fireworks in his chest. "And you were my Patroclus I presume?" 

Francis was surprised at that and let himself huff a laugh. The air between them was static and he felt uncertainty and excitement whirling around inside of him. All he had to do was lean forward and touch his lips to Arthur's. Opposite to him, the Omega was thinking much the same thing. Francis's scent was swimming around him and there was never a more pleasant scent in the world. He wanted to push forward and kiss the other man, show him just how much he appreciated everything he was and did, but he couldn't. If Francis didn't reciprocate those feelings, that rejection would change him forever, he knew. He also knew that Francis was inclined to sleep with Natalia, if her scent slathered on him earlier had anything to do with it. That was the thought that pulled him back to his senses and had him standing up, letting Francis' hand fall to the empty cushion of the vacated seat. 

"I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." He asserted, not looking at Francis so he could somewhat conceal the blush on his cheeks, then headed towards the staircase. "I know you were uncomfortable this morning, so I think it would be for the best." Not to mention he was two seconds away from making out with the frenchman. 

"Alright." Francis sounded hazy and defeated, but maybe Arthur's heart was reading too much into it. "Are you sure you don't want me to take the couch? You love that bed."

Arthur laughed as he headed upstairs. "I'm certain, thank you." After getting changed into night clothes he grabbed a spare blanket from a drawer in the wardrobe and two pillows then headed back downstairs where Francis had gotten up and re-arranged the pillows to form a more comfortable area for Arthur to rest which the Omega sat in gratefully. 

"Do you want to watch a movie before we go to sleep? It's only eight thirty after all." Francis suggested hopefully.

"Okay." Arthur laid the blanket on his lap and lifted it up on one side so Francis could get under it with him. It was something he'd never have offered before, but he and Francis had shared a bed now so it didn't seem too odd. Francis chose a quiet black and white romance and Arthur had to fight from complaining about it.

About half way through the movie Francis felt a weight on his shoulder and turned to find Arthur sleeping against him. Without even thinking about it he pressed a small kiss to the top of Arthur's head before slowly getting up and tucking Arthur into his little place on the couch, propping his head on the pillows to avoid any aches in the morning. Moonlight made Arthur's pale skin glow, and there had never been anyone more beautiful. He didn't want to leave Arthur downstairs alone, but he knew it was the other wanted, so left quietly after turning off the movie. When he'd gotten himself changed and into bed he smiled to himself. Although they'd had a small argument and got caught up in a rather romantic moment, Arthur hadn't touched a drop of alcohol that night. _A victory is a victory_ as they say.


	6. Provocation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to sat that the next chapter may be a little late because I have a lot of assignments due in the next few weeks but I'll try to keep up!! Stay safe! :)

Daylight had barely made an appearance when Arthur was dragged out of sleep by the jarring sounds of his ring-tone. Silence only seemed to act as a speaker for the jingle, making it sound a hundred times louder than it would have otherwise. Pair that with the grating noise of the phone vibrating on the glass table and Arthur had himself the makings of a morning headache. With a deep sigh and his eyes barely open, he picked up the phone and saw the unknown caller ID but answered it anyway. Unlike his brothers he didn't have a morning temper, and instead became incredibly slow and docile.

"Hello?" He answered the phone with an unavoidably groggy voice, eyes closed against the sting of being awake.

"Hello? Is this Arthur?" An accented voice asked. Vaguely, Arthur recognised it but at that moment in time he couldn't tell up from down and simply wanted to lay back down and surrender to his fatigue. 

"Yes."

"This is Iryna from the front desk. Ivan had asked you to come in early today, is that something you can do?"

He was silent a few minutes as life's harsh realities made themselves known. "I can be there in about a half hour, will that do?"

There was a small chuckle on the line. "That's fine. I'll let him know. Goodbye."

"Bye." Then Iryna hung up and Arthur was sat there, leaning heavily forward to the point that the threat of falling was the only thing keeping him awake. Nothing felt more appealing than simply ignoring the unreasonable request from his new boss. He hadn't given Arthur specific times so he'd assumed he'd start the same time as Francis, not at- _what time was it anyway?_ He pushed a button on his phone that lit the screen up, and forced himself to look at it despite the fact that his eyelids felt heavier than lead. Five A.M. Five in the morning. _Five in the morning._ He had to start his day at five in the morning? The only people awake at the time were insomniacs and psychopaths and as far as he was aware he was neither. If he ever became the overruling authority over law he'd make working at five in the morning illegal. The way he felt right now made him wonder how it wasn't a human rights violation, doubled by when he dropped the blanket to get up and the cold morning air attacked him, making him shiver.

First things first, he made himself walk upstairs to the bathroom and took a quick shower, finding that it did very little to help his sleepiness, and then he opened the bedroom door as quietly as he could. Francis was still sleeping, facing Arthur's side of the bed. The Omega smiled as he noticed that Francis was hugging one of his pillows, his face nestled into the other. Seeing how content the other man looked it seemed cruel he had denied Francis his own warm body to cuddle up to, but then he shook his head. _It's not like he could be there when Francis got snuggly when they got back to New York so why feed the man's habits?_ Wordlessly he went into the wardrobe and changed, feeling a little more awake now he'd been up for more than five minutes. While he was looking in the mirror something on his shirt caught his eye, and when he looked down at the shirt pocket he saw a little F embroidered into the fabric that he couldn't believe he'd missed before. It was subtle enough, and Arthur actually thought it to be quite adorable. If Francis could afford it on a detectives' salary, he imagined he would buy these exact shirts for himself. Running his fingers over the embroidery he found he had no problem with the clothes he was wearing so clearly belonging to the Alpha. Then he briefly imagined the other man in the shirt himself, gold hair tumbling over the collar ever so slightly, scent woven through the fabric as it clung in all the right places.

After he'd indulged in that thought for long enough he quietly slipped out of the room, not wanting to wake the other man. He then wrote Francis a note saying Ivan had asked him to come to work early and to take a cab because he hadn't gotten to drive the car yet and it was only fair for abandoning him to Alfred's car karaoke on their first day. Then he made himself a flask full of tea, put on some of his patches and left, deciding he would fold and put away the spare bedding when he got back home rather than right now. 

His first step into the building felt different to those other times he'd been there. This time he was a part of the system rather than an onlooker, and he felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, keeping his behaviour professionally in check. "Iryna, is it?" He asked as he approached the front desk.

"Ah, Arthur." She smiled at him with such kindness that he immediately understood why she was the first one anybody saw upon entry. "Ivan's office is up on the twelfth floor."

"Thank you, I hope you have a good morning." He insisted as he walked towards the elevators, receiving a "you too," from Iryna as he went. Usually he preferred to take the stairs to keep his body and muscles in check, especially if it was a day behind the desk, but he didn't want to waste time when Ivan had asked him to be there early. He got the feeling that anything but perfection would be highly frowned upon under the scrutiny of his new boss.

When he reached Ivan's office he was surprised to see a plaque on the desk outside with his name engraved onto it, or rather his fake name, Arthur Bonnefoy. He put his tea down on the desk, then knocked on Ivan's door, being told to come in as a response. The first thing he noticed about Ivan's office was just how big it was compared to how little was actually in it. All of this space was just for show, clearly. "Good morning, Arthur."

"Good morning, Ivan." He wasn't sure wether or not he was supposed to refer to Ivan by his first name or in a more professional manner, but the Alpha never told him to stop so didn't. 

"It's a very nice suit."

"Thank you." Arthur smiled, tugging the cuff of the blazer nervously. He hated little more than accepting compliments. 

"Come here, I have something for you." Ivan demanded. Arthur walked closer to the other side of the desk Ivan occupied while the Russian man slid a small box across the desk and gestured for Arthur to take it. The box was a sleek, matte black, almost obnoxiously nice to look at. The Omega had no idea what to expect when he opened it, but a shiny pair of round cufflinks with the company logo carved in was definitely not it. "Do you know how to put them on?" Ivan asked and Arthur wanted to bite back and say _obviously I've worn a suit and cufflinks before and even if I hadn't they're not exactly a labyrinth,_ but Ivan had already gotten up and taken them out of the box and held Arthur's wrists in his big hands. The Englishman imagined if Ivan flicked his wrist just now his own would snap under the pressure. The man was the same height, if not taller, that Captain Beilschmidt, and was just as filled out, yet Arthur didn't cower before him. If anything, he stood taller and more defiant against the obvious show of power. "They look good on you. How much was the suit?"

Arthur wished Ivan would sit back behind his desk, because he was still awfully close, but he wouldn't be the one to back down. Instead, he looked into the cold eyes of his new boss dead-on, daring the man to try to intimidate him. "I'm sure I can pay the bill of myself."

"I insist." Ivan said, smirking. "It's very dashing."

Arthur sighed, looking unimpressed at the flashing of wealth. "The suit cost three hundred dollars."

Ivan smiled. "I expected much more. It looks expensive."

Arthur rolled his eyes then. "It _is_ expensive. Shall I get to work now?"

"I suppose you should." 

Arthur nodded then and turned away, finally feeling like he could breath as he walked away from the Alpha and sat at his desk. His company email and password was written on a post-it attached to the side of his computer, along with a little message reading: _if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask- Iryna._ With a few seconds to organise his desk and drink his tea he was ready to start the day.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Francis had gotten to work he went straight to the twelfth floor to make sure Arthur was alright. His morning had started off in a panic as he took a shower and went downstairs to find Arthur missing, only to discover the note he'd left on the kitchen counter a few minutes later. The note had actually made him smile without knowing he was doing it and he found himself folding it and putting it in his pocket, amused by the fact that the Englishman had signed of with _\- Arthur x._ He'd learned that the small x represented a kiss in text-speak and although he knew that it was written with sarcasm in mind, it still made him feel warm to receive it. As he'd collected his things for the day he found himself feeling a little empty, hating being alone in the big house, even if for a little while, and wished he and Arthur could have left together, least of all so he wouldn't have to take a dirty cab. That was one of his least favourite tings about getting around the city and he'd hoped to have left it behind, but he'd suffer through it. Also pressing on his mind was the fact that he hadn't started his day listening to Arthur's voice for the first time in days, and it made the silence that much more oppressive. Hearing Arthur had become somewhat akin to hearing the birds singing in the morning, it meant safety and companionship, and both were some of the most beautiful sounds Francis had heard. He wasn't sure when he started becoming so attached to Arthur's words, but he felt the longing for them in their absence. 

As he stepped out of the elevator the first thing he noticed was a pair of interns gossiping by the printer. It wasn't a particularly unusual sight, but it was Arthur's name that caught his attention as it drifted over from them. One of them, a taller Alpha woman was saying about how charming he came across, and just how riveting his accent was to her, while the other, an amused looking Omega woman, was saying he wasn't really her cup of tea, but he was good-looking and easy enough to talk to. Francis thought they must be talking bout someone else, having never gotten the impression that Arthur was a pleasant conversationalist in the first few days of working with him. Surprise what what accosted him then, when he found Arthur engaged in conversation with one of the Alpha workers he'd seen wandering around on his duties. The Omega was sat listening attentively, adding in a comment or joke where necessary but otherwise letting the other dominate the conversation. It was only when Francis walked up to them that the other stopped his animated story-telling and hopped down from where he was perched on the corner of Arthur's desk, apologising and saying goodbye to Arthur as Francis glared at him.

"Good morning, my love." Arthur said, his voice so synthetically joyful it made Francis recoil. "Don't worry," Arthur said, seeing Francis unimpressed expression, "you're still my favourite."

"I should hope so." Francis said, wondering just how Arthur could switch on this mode of personality without any resistance. "What are you doing?" The Alpha asked, coming to lean on the desk on the side Arthur was on so that they were practically touching. 

"Getting to know people, answering emails, taking calls." Arthur replied, then lowered his voice so Francis had to lean in to hear him. _"Declining lunch invites."_ Francis bristled a little at that, feeling the need to find out who , exactly, was daring enough to ask out the husband of the head of security. Arthur clearly hadn't planned on that being Francis' response though as he scoffed immediately after saying it as if to say _as if._

"I promised Natalia I would take her to lunch today." Francis admitted begrudgingly. After hearing Arthur had been asked to lunch and declined offers, it seemed only right that he should take him out, husbandly duties and all. 

"Of course I'd like to tag along." Arthur said, smiling up at Francis. The very mention of Natalia put him on edge and the thought of Francis being alone with her invited an anger into him that he was trying very hard to suppress for his role. "You are _my_ husband after all." It made him feel better just to say it, even if it wasn't true. Unbeknownst to him, it also made Francis feel better to hear it, though he knew the lines were spoken for the benefit of Arthur blending in to their cover. 

"That I am, mon amour." Francis agreed, getting up from the desk. "I must be getting to my floor, lest you distract me from my duties, you siren."

"If you must." Arthur said, feigning a disappointed sigh, then figured that they looked rather chaste for a married couple, especially newlyweds, _especially_ when Francis was the most attractive man that had ever existed. That's what he told himself as he took hold of Francis' tie and pulled him gently down so he could kiss his cheek. "Have a good day."

"You too." Francis said as he was let go, his hand going to cover the place Arthur's lips had just been as his cheeks reddened. He felt like a schoolgirl in one of those stupid tv shows getting her first kiss. They'd shared small kisses in front of Alfred and Matthew before, sure, including that one kiss in Alfred's house that he couldn't forget, but this was really in public. This was Arthur laying claim to Francis in front of a group of perfect stangers. He wished more than anything that this moment would somehow spontaneously become real but it didn't. Instead he had to nod as he revelled in the whiff of Arthur's perfume that had reached him when he bent down. 

Watching Francis walk away, Arthur smiled to himself. The brush of Francis' stubble against his own cheek was a sensation he was savouring greatly, still feeling the slight tingle of it as he typed away, replying to an email about Ivan's next meeting in two hours. Francis' scent went away with him, but Arthur was still living in the memory of it, finding freedom in the scent of open woods and flowers while hew as stuck on this unrelentingly closed off office floor. As he deleted and re-typed out a reply for the fifth time he realised the only thing on his mind was the way Francis looked at him after that small moment of intimacy, the way he smiled at him with an innocent expression. He couldn't help the hope that welled up in him at the thought, and had to snap a rubber band in his hands to shake himself out of it and get back on track with his email. 

After he'd managed to send a reasonable response to that, he picked up his desk-phone and dialled Iryna's desk. When the woman answered Arthur gave his best customer service smile automatically, despite the fact that she couldn't even see him. "Sorry to bother you, dear, I was just wondering if you would like to join me, my husband and Natalia for lunch?"

"Oh, I didn't expect that." She laughed and Arthur found her gentle demeanour rather pleasant, though he wished he could simply speak the way he usually would instead of adorning fake niceties. If he did that though, his responses wouldn't be nearly so positive and he'd likely get absolutely nowhere.

"Expect it more often from now on." He laughed back, politely. "I endeavour to know those I see everyday and I hope that will be the case for you and me. I haven't had time to make many friends since moving here and feel rather alone."

"I can certainly help you with that, Mr Bonnefoy."

"Arthur, please." He insisted. It hadn't taken long to figure out that Iryna looked after the bigger things that went on around here. Every company-wide email he'd been sent was from her so far, and every issue regarding Ivan had been sent both to him and her. The only things he received that were his alone were for organising meetings and receiving and passing on phone calls. She'd also made sure he had everything he needed to understand his duties, and seemed genuinely happy to help, so Arthur was going to play on that. "Thank you."

"No, Arthur, thank you! I haven't many friends here either, other than my family, truth be told." The things she said were a little sad, but she didn't sound all that put out by them.

"I simply cannot believe that to be true, Iryna. I find you rather delightful."

She huffed a small laugh. "Francis asking me to lunch yesterday was the first time in a long time."

"Well then we shall endeavour to have lunch as often as we can. How does that sound?" Arthur asked, feeling his energy depleting incredibly fast at keeping up this kind, natural tone. He suddenly got a huge wave of sympathy for Lovino, and understood why the other Omega didn't answer calls like this. He probably started off this way, but it just wasn't possible to maintain it. The only reason Arthur was doing it is because it was temporary, but he'd already been on six calls today using the same happy-go-lucky voice and it was starting to grate on him. He had to make sure to commend Lovino when he got back, and think of a way to do it without sounding condescending, because this job was genuinely harder than Arthur imagined. If he'd been doing it for years he'd have snapped and committed a crime. Maybe he could even ask Lovino to lunch when he got back, and possibly start a friendship? _God, Francis, what are you doing to me? I'm going soft._ He thought, shaking his head.

"That sounds nice. See you at noon."

"See you then." Arthur responded then put the phone down. When there weren't any emails or calls coming through there was very little to do, which is how he found himself in conversation with the people around the office. Before Francis had walked over, he was in mental purgatory, completely uninterested in the Alpha he'd been talking to and his life story, but able to rudely proclaim so. Now, though, he felt all kinds of kind, Francis' blushing face in his memory keeping him warm and fuzzy inside. _Gross_. He was about to get up and go to the break-room to get some water before his phone went off again and he picked it from the receiver, putting on his most professional voice. "Ivan Braginski's office, how may I help you?"

"Arthur?"

"Matthew?" How odd. He hadn't told anyone he was starting working there so it seemed very strange that he'd be contactable this way. "How do you know I work here?"

"I didn't." There was a laugh from the other end and Arthur just felt even more confused. "I'm not stalking you I promise, I was calling to thank Ivan for his latest contribution, it was simply a call of professional courtesy."

"I see. Well, I'll make sure he gets the message." Arthur said, writing down the reminder on a small notepad.

"How are you, anyway? Hope I'm not interrupting anything too important." Matthew sounded a little sheepish and Arthur just shook his head fondly. The other man was really too gentle for his own good.

"Not at all, it's my first day, actually. I got the job yesterday as Ivan's private assistant." He found himself sharing. "It's rather nice plus I get to see Francis more often. What about you? How are you doing?" He asked, and genuinely cared what the answer was. _Definitely need to reel it in with the caring,_ he thought, _this is how people end up screwing you over._

"I'm doing amazing! It's my day off so I'm looking for an outfit to wear to tomorrow's event." Matthew admitted, accompanied by the sound of rustling as he looked through various items of clothing. Arthur had almost forgotten about the event tomorrow. "What will you be wearing?"

Arthur was a little stumped by that. He hadn't been roped into this kind of mundane conversation about fashion since boarding school and even then the Omegas around him had quickly learned to not bother asking because he simply didn't care. "It'll be something I already have, certainly. I'm a bit of a fashion disaster in all honesty."

Matthew laughed, not sounding forced to be polite, but rather with real enjoyment. Arthur felt himself smiling at the sound. "I usually am too. Alfred's the one whose more co-ordinated but I found out early on you can't go wrong with a nice suit. I was thinking something blue."

"Oh, no. Blue will wash you out." Arthur said, then knotted his eyebrows together, wondering where the hell that had come from. 

"You're right, but I don't know what to go for." Matthew responded, grateful for the advice. 

"Maybe a nice dark red?" He suggested, though he had no idea if that would look right or not.

"That would be a bit daring wouldn't it?" Matthew asked, though he clearly sounded interested in the idea.

"Well, where's the fun in being bland?" Arthur asked. 

"You're completely right. How dark are we talking?"

"Very dark?" 

"Very dark sounds good. Thank you! I should probably let you go now." Matthew said, sounding a little guilty.

"I do have a lot of work to do but it's been a delight talking to you. I'll make sure to pass on your message to Ivan."

"Brilliant. Bye, Arthur!"

"Goodbye, Matthew." When he hung up the phone he sat back in his chair and let out a sigh to collect himself before he stood up and left for the break room so he could get a cup of water. It hadn't been a hugely long conversation, but he'd forgotten just how much being social took out of him. He hoped he'd been helpful because in all honestly him helping Matthew clothes shop sounded like the blind leading the blind. Still, it had been an interaction he found himself rather proud of, as he's managed to become close to the people around him in his cover. He'd been sure to get his promotion after this, however distant it might be. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Francis was sat leaning precariously in his desk chair when he felt an unfortunately familiar hand rest on his shoulder, manicured nails digging in as he was pushed down and spun around. "Good morning, Nat."

"I heard my brother hired your husband." She said in an accusing tone, forgoing any niceties. The way she glared at him had Francis thinking she somehow believed that was his fault.

"I noticed."

"So, you didn't ask for it?" She grinned and he had to smother his distaste with a look of nonchalance.

"I had no idea until he told me after getting the offer." Natalia was displeased at that but seemed to rid him of any suspicion, as she leaned in to whisper something no doubt filthy to him before pulling away with her face crumpled up. "You smell different."

Francis grinned at that, unable to stop himself at the idea that Arthur's perfume was clinging to his clothes even after such a small interaction. It was something that he himself had noticed as he'd been sitting there. The thought had crossed his mind that he'd have to remember to ask just what perfume it was so that he could get some when he was back at his old apartment in New York. Just like Lavender used to when he was younger, the scent calmed his nerves and seemed to light the happy part of his brain on fire. But, that thought had had led to the fact that this was all going to end, and that made him inexplicably sad. "That would be my husband you were referring to earlier."

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "Possessive, is he? Sounds like a challenge." 

Francis wanted badly to roll his eyes but knew that after she had kissed him there was no going back. They'd already breached the physical barrier between them so now she only going get more daring. "Yes, so I'd rather he didn't hear about this." He whispered to her, glancing around to where their other co-workers where deliberately looking anywhere but at them. 

Natalia shrugged and straightened back up. "We'll just have to be careful." Then she winked at him and walked back out of the office to no doubt go and terrify some poor interns. The tension in his body released like loose elastic and he slumped back in his chair.

It was then that the man who'd helped him make an arrest on his first day turned his attention to him. "Don't worry, Sir, we won't tell."

Francis huffed a laugh. "There's nothing to tell. Adnan, is it?"

"You can just call me Sadiq." Francis nodded, and so Sadiq felt he was able to continue speaking. "I mean it, though, the only reason we're all still here is because we never tell."

Francis looked at Sadiq then, noting that the other didn't seem to be afraid of that confession. "So this happens often?"

Sadiq and a few of the others laughed lowly. "With any new guy, Sir. Before you came, it was the guy you replaced. He was not so good at not telling."

Francis' interest piqued at that. "What happened with him?"

At that Sadiq seemed to have understood that he had stepped too far and simply waved his hand as if to bat away the question. "Nothing. He was just foolish is all."

The conversation stopped abruptly there, Sadiq going back to his work by pretending there was something very interesting happening on his computer. Francis wanted desperately to pull up the records of the man who had taken his position before he arrived, but he had a feeling it would come across as more than suspicious and Iryna would somehow find out what he was doing in her system. That would inevitably open an enquiry he rather wanted to avoid, so he pushed the urge to look into it to the back of his mind and simply left the room so he could patrol around and maybe catch some gossip like he almost had earlier. It was nothing but happy coincidence that he came across Arthur's desk just as their lunch break started. 

"Is there some sort of invisible bungee rope between us that I can't see?" Arthur asked as Francis greeted him with a smile. 

"And here I was thinking you'd be happy to see me." Francis mock-pouted and Arthur shook his head, fighting the urge to kiss that pout away. 

"Hold on." The Omega got up from his desk, and the light reflected on the small piece of golden thread making his initial on Arthur's shirt. It was that sight that made him feel a lot better about the fact that he had to ask _Ivan's permission_ to take a lunch break. When said break had been approved he turned to Francis with a smile. "Is Natalia meeting us downstairs?"

"I'm not even sure she remembers."

"Ah, allow me." Arthur insisted. He had devious smile in place that increased as he stepped ever so slightly towards Francis and picked the phone up from his desk, dialling the number he knew belonged to his work-place rival. "Natalia, how good of you to pick up. I was wondering if you'd like to meet us in the lobby for our lunch date?" Francis watched, swallowing nervously as Arthur absently toyed with his tie, wanting the Omega to pull him down for another kiss again but this time on his lips. It was a casual affection he never thought possible from the Englishman, and one he knew he'd think about every time he had to put the ugly tie on every morning. "Excellent, see you there." Then he put the phone down and smiled at Francis. "Wouldn't want to keep our guest waiting would we?"

Francis shook his head and held out a hand that Arthur simply tutted at and batted away gently. "I can walk by myself, dear. We're not teens in a high school hallway." The Alpha found himself not feeling rejected but amused at Arthur's refusal to hold hands with him, instead opting to walk side by side with Francis so close that their sleeves brushed with every step. "I hope you don't mind I invited Iryna."

"I don't mind at all, she's a lovely woman." Francis said as they got into the elevator. It was quiet apart from the moving machinery operating around them, but it didn't feel awkward as they waited to reach the bottom floor. 

Natalia was waiting at the reception desk as she had told Arthur she would, and gave him a cold look as they walked towards her that he simply ignored in favour of greeting Iryna, who got up from her desk when they'd arrived. "Any suggestions?" He asked her as he took her hand to help her from around the desk.

"I can take us to the same café Francis likes?"

"That sounds perfect. I hear they do the nicest pastries." Arthur smiled, and held out an arm for her to link with, leaving Natalia to walk with Francis, much to the French Alpha's disappointment. Natalia, though, seemed livid. Instead of creating an interesting competition, or playing the role of the possessive spouse like she wanted him to, Arthur chose to not even consider her as a threat. Realising that, Francis inwardly thanked the other man. Iryna seemed to notice it too, smiling at Arthur's outstretched arm and linking him with a smile as they left the office building. Natalia linked with Francis behind, and made sure her wrist brushed over his to transfer her scent to him. 

By the time they'd reached the café, Arthur and Iryna were well on the way to becoming work-friends, having shared banter over their shared duties. They all sat at a round table inside and ordered sandwiches and drinks. The conversation ran perfectly smoothly, all parties being civil, until Arthur stretched his arm to reach his bottle of water and his blazer rode up enough to reveal one of the patches on his wrist. Natalia honed in on it immediately. 

"Why do you wear scent-suppressant patches?" The question reached Arthur almost as if in slow motion, and sound seemed to damped around him as he tried to process an answer. He desperately hoped Francis hadn't heard, but when he glanced and found a look of confusion and on the other's face he knew he wasn't that lucky. After a few beats without an answer, Natalia looked between Arthur and Francis and looked overjoyed at the tense atmosphere she had unwittingly crafted. "Did you not know?" She asked Francis, ignoring the glare coming from her sister.

"You don't have to answer that, Arthur, it's none of our business." Iryna interjected, seeing that Arthur's jovial mask had slipped as he became wordless. 

"Oh, but it is." Natalia said, smiling gleefully like a child on their birthday. "It's company policy, is it not?" She glanced at Iryna with a smug, knowing expression. Arthur had since stopped looking at Francis' slightly betrayed expression and instead was staring emptily at the table. "No biology-altering substances to be used while under our employment. Something like that, isn't it?"

"Natalia, you don't have to be so cruel." Iryna chided, glancing at Arthur to see that he was tugging on the sleeves of his blazer to try to hide his indiscretion. She felt nothing but sympathy for the other man. He wasn't hurting anybody, so she didn't understand why it should be a problem, it's not like he was partaking in recreational drugs. 

Still neatly avoiding Francis' gaze, Arthur checked his watch hastily, then stood up abruptly. "You'll have to forgive me, I seem to have forgotten there's somewhere I need to be." He hated how cowardly he sounded, how he could feel the tips of his ears burning. He didn't know what to do, or what to say and there wasn't any time to think of anything, so he simply left. He was a few steps out of the door when he heard Iryna's gentle voice coming up behind him. 

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, nothing to worry yourself about." It sounded like a terrible lie as he said it, and knew that Iryna was unlikely to believe him, but seemed to have the decency to not press him any further. 

In the café Francis was completely flabbergasted. What was Natalia talking about, biology-altering substances? Arthur hadn't mentioned anything about that. Maybe it was something serious? He'd heard of Omega's having to suppress their scent for medical treatments, but surely he'd have noticed if Arthur was seriously sick? Or maybe he was suppressing his scent around Francis because he didn't trust Francis to control himself. Whatever it was, he had to find out. He got to his feet, his chair scraping awfully against the floor, but he was stopped from going after Arthur with Natalia's hand around his arm. "Not so fast." She tutted at him, smirking, and he couldn't quite suppress the glare he sent her way. 

"Oh, don't be like that." She said, getting up. "He was lying to you, if anything you should be happy. I did you a favour." Francis shrugged her arm off of him and went to the door before Natalia's voice once again stopped him dead in his tracks. "If you walk away from me right now, I'll tell Ivan and he'll force him to take them off."

"Why?" Francis asked, turning back and walking up to her with a thinly veiled anger bubbling below the surface. She found the sight thrilling. "Why are you doing this?"

Natalia shrugged. "Because I can. Because I have you exactly where I want you." Francis wanted to argue, to storm out after Arthur and ask him what the hell was going on with him, but couldn't. If he left now and Arthur had to forfeit his only source of comfort after being unwillingly scented in public, he'd never forgive himself. The anger was pumping through his veins like molten metal and it was taking every ounce of his will power to not get away from the woman in front of him. His scent permeated the air, something he couldn't control, and while Natalia's eyes widened and she bit her lip flirtatiously, the Omega running the cafe gave him a wary look. "We can go now, puppy." She said, linking herself with him as they walked out, keeping a slow pace so as to stay further away from Arthur and Iryna. This was a big game to her, and right now she was winning. 

By the time Arthur had made it back to the building he had calmed down a little. "Sorry about that, Iryna."

"No need to be sorry, I know how it feels when she does things like that." Iryna admitted, offering Arthur a comforting squeeze on his arm. "I won't tell a soul, I promise."

The earnest nature of the other Omega made him feel a little guilty for having to deceive her. "I think I'll just be getting back to work, then. Best to put this all behind us."

"Of course." She agreed with him, giving him a look of sympathy as she got back behind her desk. He knew she meant well but that look of sympathy inspired resentment in him. It would be a miracle if he managed to make it through the rest of the day surpassing his real emotion now. 

He thought he'd made it made it past the ordeal when the cold air conditioned atmosphere of the twelfth floor embraced him and he reached his desk that seemed now a safe-haven. That was, before Ivan opened his door and requested Arthur step in. Suddenly, the office seemed a lot smaller than it had when he'd entered it that morning. 

"Natalia just texted me some very concerning information." Ivan revealed, his eyes trained on Arthur to note any signs of discomfort or disagreement. When there was nothing he went on. "She is very meticulous at her job, and she, like myself, understands that everyone must be treated the same within the workplace. Equal." _How dare you try to spin this as equal rights,_ Arthur thought with pure hatred, as his stomach fell. "In that vain, I must insist you remove any scent-altering patches you're wearing."

"I can't." Arthur said, hands folded behind his back and staring straight into Ivan's eyes in defiance.

"Why is that?" Ivan asked, not as angry as Arthur had expected.

 _Because wearing them greatly decreases the chance of random Alphas scenting me in public and making me pass out in front of a_ _crowd. Because if Francis hates my scent I'll hate myself even more._ "I can't say."

Ivan sighed. "Then I cannot help you. Remove the patches." Arthur wanted to argue but found he couldn't. He couldn't admit to what had happened to him to Ivan of all people, not even for this case. It was difficult enough knowing Francis knew everything about it. He also knew that there was nothing that could put the cat in the bag in regards to Francis. He knew that he'd been hiding his scent now, and there was no going back. He felt like he was full to the brim with violent emotions, but simply nodded, eyes downcast, and left the room to go the bathroom. Thankfully it was empty, not many Omegas working on this floor, and he was left in peace to remove the patches. Francis hadn't come after him when he'd left, hadn't called his name. Hadn't said anything at all. He must be furious, or disgusted, or both. _Noone likes a liar,_ the voice of his Dam rang in his head. It turns out no matter how far he ran he wouldn't be able to get rid of the lingering voices and lessons of his parents. 

As he peeled the strips from his wrists the cool air graced his skin and he felt sick. He put them in the trashcan at the end of the bathroom and wanted to leave but found he couldn't. Not yet. Instead, he entered the farthest stall and put the toilet lid down, sitting on top of it and cradling his face in his hands, thankful for the small amount of privacy afforded to him within the walls of the stall. This is how he was meant to be, cold and alone, spiralling. He'd already deceived Francis, so there was no way he was ever going to be trusted again. He tried with immense difficulty to rid himself of the memory of Francis' expression when he'd been exposed, but he couldn't. How was he going to fix this? He felt his breath hitch and forced himself to clear his head, imagining himself in a country field somewhere. It always worked when he was a kid, to pretend he was somewhere else, somewhere he controlled, somewhere safe. He dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve to get rid of any evidence of tears before he forced a few deep breaths before standing up, straightening his clothes out and unlocking the door to the cubicle. Next, he splashed some water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror, forcing himself to remember what his Sire used to say when the social workers visited and threatened to take him and his brothers away, _the most important thing is what they see._ There was nothing he could do now to turn back time so he simply had to cope. 

After drying off his face he went back outside and to his desk, where Francis was waiting, looking awfully concerned. "Arthur-"

"Don't. Not here." The Omega replied, avoiding the other's gaze and sitting at his desk. 

Francis went to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, then paused. "Is this okay?" Arthur looked at his hand and nodded, not sure why Francis was still respecting his boundaries after he'd lied to him. "You don't owe me an explanation." The Frenchman said quietly in hopes that their relationship wouldn't be the new hot topic in the gossip channels. "But you can talk to me about it, if you need to." He was glad that Natalia had left him alone once they'd entered the building, content in the knowledge that she could control him as long as Arthur was around and available to threaten. 

"I don't." Arthur said, opening his emails and resolutely trying to give Francis the hint to leave him in his despair. He knew that this wasn't what Francis really wanted to say, how he really wanted to react. This was just a front for the people around them.

Francis sighed, withdrawing his hand but not yet going anywhere. "After work we can-"

"I have to stay late." Arthur lied, comfortably hiding behind his defence mechanism. Francis recognised it this time though, and simply wouldn't let it go.

"Okay, I can go to the shop and get you some more perfume. It'll work just as well, I imagine, if you no longer feel comfortable with the patches." He'd whispered the last word so noone could catch what they were talking about and rat them out.

Arthur felt confusion worm it's way into his subconscious. "What perfume?"

"The one you wear everyday!" Francis answered, smiling at the fact that Arthur had turned to look at him while he'd asked his question. He was finally starting to break down those walls, he could see it. 

"I don't wear any perfume."

Francis raised an eyebrow. Arthur was more committed to this lie than he thought, but he refused to back down again. "You don't have to be ashamed, it's heavenly." Francis reminisced, adopting a fond tone to assure Arthur he didn't have to feel any less masculine and Alpha-like just because he smelled beautiful. 

Arthur felt his face going warm and his heart speeding up as he realised what was happening. "Francis, I _don't wear perfume_."

"Then what did you go to the fragrance store for?"

"I was _going_ to buy some but I got- well, you know." He said, then grinned as realisation also dawned over Francis. Something about that look gave him a burst of confidence out of absolutely nowhere. "Heavenly, you said?"

"I said no such thing." Francis stepped away from him, cheeks red and eyes wide. He felt so stupid. "How was I supposed to know?" He hissed quietly, trying not to sound quite so embarrassed and failing miserably. The smug look on Arthur's face wasn't helping matters either. Pride wasn't one of his most known-for attributes but he still felt it deeply when it was wounded like that. 

Arthur saw the expression on Francis' face and decided to take pity on him. "Don't get so worked up, I was only teasing." Then he stood up and walked over to Francis. "Is there anywhere we can speak in private?" _Might as well get this over with, then I can avoid him,_ Arthur thought.

"The bathroom." Francis said. Arthur pulled him towards it immediately, making sure there was no-one inside before he shut the door behind them fully and turned to the frenchman. 

"I shouldn't have lied to you." He admitted, seeing no way to back out of it now. "I had to come off my usual suppressants due to unforeseen circumstances when we arrived, and I thought that it would go away by itself if I didn't say anything, but it didn't and it just keeps getting worse." He felt himself starting to rush through his words so he took a second to compose himself and began again, inwardly grateful to Francis for his patience. "I thought if I could cover it up noone would notice, and I could just start taking them again once we got back to New York." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was some of it, and that was all he was willing to give for now. 

Francis looked at him with a completely blank expression before he smiled, and stepped forward with questioning eyes, waiting for Arthur's nod before enveloping him in a hug. "I don't care that you kept this from me, Arthur. I'm just glad you're alright. I thought there was some sort of medical emergency or something." He stroked his hand over Arthur's hair, relief flooding his system, and also a little pride at having discovered how to make Arthur comfortable around him. That was his biggest achievement to date, of all of them. "I also thought maybe-" He stopped, not wanting to even say the next part aloud. "I thought you couldn't trust me to be around you."

Arthur pulled away at that, grabbing Francis' face between his hands and forcing him to look at his now irritated expression. "Francis Bonnefoy. How many times do I have to tell you I will never be afraid of you? I trust you more than I trust anyone." He then seemed to realise how close together their faces were and let go, taking a step back from Francis' warm hold. "Remember it this time, because I won't be saying it again." He crossed his arms then, but couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face. How had this man that a week ago been a tentative work colleague now force his walls down with a few words and a hug? "And you don't have to ask every time you touch me I'm not made of glass." There we go, a nice complaint to balance out the scales and make the moment a bit less intense.

"I don't think I'll ever forget it, mon amour. I just want to make sure you're comfortable. It's alright to say no." Francis said. Arthur felt his whole narrative being re-written by Francis' insistence that his comfort was of high importance to the other man. Francis was better than any Alpha he knew. Whoever ultimately ended up wit him was the luckiest person in the world.

"I won't say no to you. Consider this my official acceptance of your touch. If I didn't want you to touch me, you'd know it. What about you?"

Francis didn't know what to say or how to act with that. The way Arthur had been so taught and rigid when he'd first seen him after lunch must have meant that Arthur didn't believe he was deserving of being treated fairly. It broke Francis' heart seeing how surprised Arthur was that Francis respected his choices, and understood the effects of the things happening to him. _What had he lived through to make him so sure there was no good left?_ The only logical reason Arthur would have kept this from him, then, is because he thought Francis would react badly, but something had made him change his mind. This was a huge honour, and he didn't think he'd ever feel worthy of it, but he knew Arthur would resent it if he made the moment any more emotional than it already was for him. "The same for me. Do you still want me to go to the store?"

"I didn't want you to in the first place!" Arthur said, walking out of the bathroom as he rolled his eyes. He felt lighter, somehow. Francis followed him giddily. 

"Are you sure?" 

The two received amused, knowing looks from everyone in the office as they left the bathroom together. "Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I've been told my natural scent is rather fetching."

"Who told you that?" Francis teased, leaning on Arthur's desk as he sat back down at his computer.

"A very good-looking Alpha. You should definitely be wary." Arthur smirked as he saw the shocked look on Francis' face. He could play along sometimes. "Now get lost before I get in trouble for wasting time."

Francis picked up Arthur's hand and kissed the back of it gently. "I'll wait for you to finish when my shift ends."

Arthur shifted a little uncomfortably. "I don't really have to work late." He said, then made shooing notions as Francis made a faux-offended face. "Not a word, just go and do your job before you get us both sacked." 

"Alright, because you asked so nicely." Then he sauntered off, feeling better than he had in days.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I could never go to prison." Gilbert complained from where he was laying on his stomach star-fish style on one of the beds in their hotel room.

"You're too pretty." Antonio agreed.

"Well, that, but also I couldn't handle being in the same space all day every day. We've been here one night and half a day and I'm literally on the verge on a mental collapse."

Antonio stopped spinning around on their shared desk chair so he could go light-headed again and laugh at his friend. "I agree. This is true torture. But, it is our own fault."

"I guess, but it's way harsh." Gilbert was about to add on another complaint when there was a knock on their door. "Finally! Lunch is here." He got up and practically ran to the door to retrieve his and Antonio's meals, tipping generously and thanking the waitress at the door. 

They were eating their respective meals and watching the news channel, after a long day of compromising what to put on, when Antonio's phone rang and he threw himself towards his bedside table to answer it. "Hello?"

"Carrierdo." Lovino's voice came through the phone, sounding just as unhappy as always. Antonio was suitably thrilled by the sound. 

"Lovino, I knew you couldn't stay angry at me forever!" Antonio gushed, receiving a thumbs up form Gilbert as the German sneakily took the remote and changed the channel to an action film while his friend was happily distracted. 

"Shut up. I only called to say I didn't mean what I said. I'm mature enough to admit that."

"I didn't mean what I said, either, really."

There a moment of silence before Lovino sighed. "You really can't go around talking about Kirkland like that. He did what he had to do and frankly I'd have done the same." Antonio felt like a child being scolded for saying a curse word at school. "He's a good detective and deserves your respect, and so do I. If you ever raise your voice like that at me again-"

"I won't, I promise. I was just super stressed from getting suspended and stuff. I really didn't mean it, Lovino, I'm so sorry-"

"Good God, stop it. You sound pathetic." Antonio started pouting then, even though Lovino couldn't see him but it didn't last long because the Italian man shortly followed his outburst. "Sorry, my new medication is making crazy."

"It's okay!" Antonio reassured him. "I'm sorry to hear that about your meds."

"Thanks. I get why Arthur's such a bastard all the time though now, these things are rough."

"Arthur takes medication?" Antonio asked. He had no idea about any part of the English Omega's life. Had never even bothered trying to take an interest, even when Francis had come home and told them he was going to ask him on a date. Arthur had always been stand-offish and that only got worse after his last case with Francis. Not to mention Francis had been quite shaken up about it. 

"Sure, why did you think he had no scent?" Lovino asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'Its possible for people to not have a scent."

"It's insanely rare. You people never think." Lovino said, and Antonio could actually sense the eye-roll the other was making on the other end of the phone-call. "I only found out by accident, in all honesty." His voice dropped down into somewhat of a whisper, the way it did when he talked shit about all other people in the break-room. It was one of his favourite past-times in the precinct. "The janitor found his spare pill box on the floor under his desk and gave it to me to ask if it was some sort of illegal substance. I would have had it tested if I hadn't seen the pill before. Every Omega has seen it."

"They have?"

"Well, yeah, obviously. It's all over medical journals. Completely blocks out scent and supresses heats." Antonio was surprised by how willing Lovino was to bring up Omega biology. He'd never met an Omega so brazenly open about it. "Everyone's skeptical about those kinds of things though, so I asked him if it worked when I gave it back to him and he said it did, he was even taking a double dose, and recommend his Doctor so I thought I'd give it a try."

"I didn't know you and Arthur recommended things to each other." 

"We don't. This was the only time, and he wasn't lying. It does work, but the side effects are insane. I'm so angry all the time."

"Why would you want to take suppressants anyway."

Lovino huffed into his phone, clearly annoyed at the statement. "You're all so ignorant. You have no idea what it's like having to go through heats when you're single, or have creepy Alphas press up to you on the crowded subway to get your scent. Not to mention-"

"Alright, I'm sorry. That was rude of me." He interrupted because he could hear the annoyance building in the other's voice.

"It's fine, you couldn't have known. See what I mean? I'll probably stop taking them in all honesty I'm naturally irritated enough without them."

Antonio laughed. "I like you just the way you are, wether you take those suppressants or not."

"I'm sure you do. Look, I have to go. I'm on my lunch break." 

"Okay. Promise to call me later?"

There was a few seconds wherein Lovino made Antonio wait. "Fine."

"Oh, one more thing." Antonio said, getting an idea. "Could you give me the name of those pills? I just want to check something."

"You're a weird man, Cerrierdo, but fine. Talk to you later." Then Lovino hung up and text Antonio the brand of medication. As soon as it came through he copy and pasted the name into google on his phone and was surprised to find the drug mentioned in many news articles in Omega magazines and blogs. He stuck to the website of the original creators of the drug, and stopped when he came across something very _very_ important. Looking up from his phone he turned his attention to Gilbert, who somehow now had control of the tv.

"Gil, did you know Kirkland took suppressant medication?" 

Gilbert tore his attention away from the fight scene happening in front of him. "No. Does it matter?"

"Well, Lovi just said he's on these meds that stop heats and block scents and stuff. He said it makes you super angry and Kirkland is on a double dose."

Gilbert snorted. "That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Sure, but apparently it's a new drug marketed at Omegas. Have you ever heard of anything like that?"

The German Alpha thought for a second, trying to remember if he'd seen anything about it anywhere. "Actually, no. It does sound like something we should know about, though."

"Exactly. What if that's the reason they sent Francis away."

"How do you figure that?" Gilbert sat up on the bed, turning down the tv volume. 

"Their base is in California." He informed his friend, holding up his phone to show Gilbert the address on their website.

Gilbert nodded as the information came together. "You think they're on a drugs bust."

"I mean, it would make sense wouldn't it? Kirkland has experience with them and Francis... Well, he's the only one who Kirkland doesn't entirely loathe."

"Oh my God you're right." 

Antonio nodded. "What should we do? I mean is there anything we really can do?"

Gilbert considered for a minute, then said, "we could investigate the people supplying the pills? Francis and Arthur can't, because they're all the way over in California. Plus, we can do that from here. Technically, we'd be helping towards the bigger picture and not interfering with Ludwig's plan for those two."

"Gil, you're completely right." The German started to feel more pumped up as the idea of having something to do other than stare at the tv or bare walls came into view. He got his laptop out that had been delivered to them from the apartment. Antonio texted Lovino to ask for the name of the Doctor that had given him the tablets and the other had responded with the name immediately, which he gave to Gilbert to type into the computer. 

"How are we going to go about this? I think we need to come up with a plan."

"That's exactly what we need to do." Antonio moved over to his friend, scooting him across the bed so he could sit next to him and look at the laptop screen. "Now, let's get to work."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the workday ended Francis went to the front desk to wait for Arthur, but when the other had been more than fifteen minutes he decided to go and see what was going on. He'd thought maybe he was catching up on some emails, or was on a long phone call. What he hadn't expected to find, however, was Ivan standing in front of Arthur's desk, keeping him from leaving with what seemed like casual conversation that only faltered when Francis walked up to them both.

"Ah, Francis." Ivan acknowledged him as a form of greeting. "I was simply telling Arthur about tomorrow's event. Since you'll be working security I was suggesting Arthur come as my personal guest. A thank you for taking the position and working do diligently on his first day."

"And I was saying I would be honoured but I would have to make sure it was alright with my husband first."

Francis smiled to cover up the annoyance he felt at Ivan. "I have no problem with it. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time."

"Well then it's decided." Ivan said, clapping his hands together. "I was also about to mention that you may wear your patches to the event if you wish." 

Francis looked to Arthur then, confused, only to find the Omega characteristically looking away from him and almost glaring at Ivan. "Thank you." The Omega gritted out with a smile.

"She told you?" Francis said accusingly, his gaze now on Ivan, anger seeping through. He'd had Arthur run off alone and anxious for nothing? 

"Hm?" Ivan looked at Francis with cool indifference, fully aware what he was doing. "Who told me what?"

"Nothing." Arthur said, watching Francis' jaw clench with the effort of not saying something he couldn't take back. He walked around the desk and put his handoff Francis' arm, feeling the muscles relax beneath his fingers. "I'm sorry Ivan we really ought to be going, it's been a tiresome first day." 

Ivan observed Francis for a little longer, waiting to see if the other would crack under his gaze, but Arthur seemed to act as a sort of anchor to the other Alpha, keeping his irritation at bay. "How did the suit treat you? Comfortable I hope?" Ivan gave Arthur a quick look up and down, then leered at him as he awaited a response. He'd sent the money for the suit over to Arthur's bank account earlier after Arthur had emailed him the details. 

"Very well, thank you." Arthur replied.

"It looks very good with that shirt, doesn't it?" Francis commented, voice deliberately empty so he couldn't come across as insubordinate. 

Ivan's eyes drifted to Arthur's chest where the embroidered F sat on the shirt pocket. He huffed a laugh, then turned to Arthur. "Perhaps if you continue doing such a good job there will be a watch to match those cuffs."

Arthur could smell Francis getting riled up, and knew that Ivan would start to smell it soon if he didn't say anything, and more than that he was actually getting incredibly annoyed by the pissing contest that had started up between the two. He was not a fucking prize. "We can only hope." He smiled, trying to keep the bitterness out of it. "We must be getting home now, I'm afraid. Goodbye, Ivan."

Ivan simply smiled and said his goodbyes, knowing he had won. Arthur nodded and dragged Francis to the elevator and out of the building without either of them exchanging a word. He had to remind himself that Francis was fair to him earlier, so he had to be understanding now. Besides, it actually made him feel butterflies a little when Francis got all protective like that, not that he would ever mention it. 

When they got in the car he forced Francis into the passenger side and took the wheel himself. They both waited until they were on the street on their way home before saying anything. Francis was the one to break the silence. "I hate them."

"I don't think you're capable of hate, Francis." Arthur said, smiling to try and lighten the mood a little. Francis still hadn't let the tension leave his body since Ivan had spoken to them, and it was starting to worry him. 

Francis simply huffed and looked out of the window, in his own world. He considered keeping his emotions to himself, like he had the past few days but knew that it would only get worse. That was the very reason he was still stewing in it right now. "I'm perfectly capable." This was too personal, though. This wasn't a past that he'd come to terms with, and an emotion he was used to sharing with those around him. What Francis was feeling now was dark and over-bearing. 

Arthur noticed the tense atmosphere and didn't really know what to do. He was usually the one acting irrationally, so he didn't have to worry about it, but Francis had sweet-talked and reasoned it out of him so now he was just sat there, helpless. Watching Francis suffering. It was painful to see. In a way, it made the Frenchman appear much more human than he ever had to Arthur. The perfect facade was crumbling and he was falling, but how was Arthur supposed to catch him? _That's the problem with stars_ , Arthur thought, _they have a tendency to burn from the inside out_. Thinking back to how Francis had behaved around him earlier he reached a hand across them and gently laid it on Francis' knee. "Are you alright?" 

Francis felt the hand on his knee and looked at it a second before putting his own on top, lacing his fingers with the cold digits attempting to comfort him. They did, a little. The way the back of Arthur's hand felt against his was nice, comfortable. It was a touch he hadn't expected to receive, and was grateful for. Though Arthur didn't know it, it re-assured Francis greatly that Arthur was here with him and not with Ivan, slaving away for a promotion. "I'm fine."

"You can talk to me, you know." Arthur said, wanting more than ever to be able to understand how to help, but this had never been his area of expertise. His brothers always gave him the cold-shoulder when they were feeling emotional and the only time he'd ever had to comfort anyone was when he was comforting himself. 

"I know you don't want me to, it's fine." Francis said, still looking out of the window while they drove. Arthur squeezed his fingers gently.

"Of course I do." He said with the nicest voice he could. "I care about you, Francis."

"No you don't." Francis sighed and plucked his hand from Arthur's, and the Omega pulled his hand back too, putting it back on the wheel after the blatant rejection of his affection. Francis felt a little guilty because of it but he simply couldn't do it. Arthur thought he was different, that he didn't get like other Alpha's did. How could he shatter that perception of himself when it was one he wanted to embody so badly. 

"I'm not completely heartless, you know." Arthur stated. He kept his tone light but he was feeling the hurt from Francis' opinion. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? For Francis to think he was infallible? 

"I didn't mean that." Francis griped. 

Arthur didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to seeing Francis like this for pro-longed periods of time or at all, actually. He was staring into a chasm of the unknown and it terrified him. Did Francis truly hate the fact that he'd accepted gifts from Ivan? Did he truly think Arthur was a gold-digger, like he'd said yesterday, is that what this was about? "I don't care about money." He blurted out, eyes steadily on the road and not the recipient of his words. 

"What?" 

"I'm not- I only accepted the things Ivan bought me because I didn't want to offend him. It was-"

"For _the case_ , I know." Francis finished for him. "Its the only reason you're doing anything you're doing here, right?" The tone of Francis' voice made Arthur confused. He sounded angry, but he had no idea why. What had he said to invoke this? He was about to reply when Francis cut him off. "You don't have to answer that I already know."

"What's your problem?" Arthur accused, starting to get irritated. How could Francis preach about being open then close himself off like this? 

"I don't have a problem." Francis replied resolutely, thankful that they were finally turning off into their street and he could get out of this enclosed space. 

"Fine." Arthur said, giving up. He figured if the Frenchman actually wanted to tell what was wrong he would and prying would only end in another argument. 

They pulled up to the house ignoring each other and Francis was out and through the front door almost as soon as Arthur had stopped the car. The Omega dutifully followed but wasn't particularly eager to be in Francis' war-path. He'd never seen the other like this so it was only sensible to approach with caution, though Francis seemed to have other ideas as he started talking to Arthur as soon as he was through the door.

"Is this some sort of payback?" The Alpha asked, knowing that he was trying to provoke Arthur into another argument. That was the way that Arthur showed emotion, wasn't it? Through fighting. _Show me you care, Arthur._ Unfortunately, the logic did not translate to the Englishman. 

"Payback for what?"

"You're not stupid, Arthur, so stop acting like you are."

Arthur eyed the other warily, keeping his distance. Francis looked like a wounded animal, and he had no intention of seeing him backed into a corner. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Just calm down-"

"That's rich." Francis laughed, the sound bitter even to his own ears. 

Arthur knew he was being baited and it was taking everything in him to not bite. "Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"Difficult." He took a step forward, proving that he wasn't about to back down under Francis' temper. "Did something happen that I'm not aware of?"

Francis rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what you're doing."

"No, I don't." Arthur replied, getting frustrated and hating how stupid Francis was making him feel. He was trying to be reasonable and understanding, but it wasn't getting him anywhere. If a fight was what Francis wanted then who was he to deny him? "I knew you were going to do this. You can't stand that I'm an actual part of your workplace territory can you?"

"That's not it-"

"Yes, it is!" Arthur cut him off, his voice raising as he felt irritation nestling in his chest. "I can see the jealousy all over you, it's really not a good look. I thought you were different but you're just the same as the rest of them." Arthur gave him a bitter smile and shook his head. 

"I'm not jealous of _you_!" Francis shouted, getting closer to Arthur until they were right in front of each other. 

"Then who are you jealous of?" Arthur asked, staring defiantly into Francis' eyes. He could see the emotion building behind Francis' eyes, and his heart was racing but he was trying his hardest to replace the mounting fear with anger. It wasn't Francis he was scared of, it was the idea that Francis could hate him. Recognising that, he realised his best line of defence was to make Francis hate him before the other decided to himself, at least that way he was in control, and nothing thrown at him could hurt him. "Is it Ivan, because he has wealth and luxury? Or maybe-"

"Stop it." Francis warned.

"Or what?" Arthur demanded, challenging Francis, getting up in his space. "What will you do?" Francis remained silent but Arthur could smell his anger. "That's what I thought." Then he sneered and walked past Francis, only to be stopped by a strong hand on his arm as Francis spun around to face him again. 

"Fine, I'm jealous." The Alpha admitted angrily. "And I hate it. It's an ugly emotion but I can't help it." Arthur felt his own anger start to subside, oddly, as Francis confided in him, regardless of the fact that Francis was still so fired up. His body relaxed and his arm hit the bookshelf just behind him which startled him. He hadn't even realised he was close to it, and turned to see just how close, only to notice something odd as Francis continued to speak. "It consumes me completely."

"Francis-"

"I can't think of anything except the fact that you're wearing the clothes he bought, and that he's spent all day around you and your scent-"

"Francis, seriously-" Arthur continued to attempt interrupting whatever it was Francis was saying. He really wasn't listening as his eyes darted all over the bookshelf, looking for similar breaks in the dust pattern to the one he'd noticed when his eyes landed on a set of fingerprints on the second shelf that meant someone had reached high up, and he hadn't seen him nor Francis ever touch the old piece of furniture. It clicked into place why Ivan had wanted both him and Francis not at home, then. He turned back, anxious about Francis' rambling and what he was so freely admitting. 

"I've spent the last three days coming to the realisation- are you even listening-" _Fuck it_ , Arthur thought, there was only one reasonable way to stop Francis spewing all of their secrets out in front of a spy camera sitting somewhere on the top shelf. With a deep sense that he was going to regret it later, but not being able to think of anything else to do in the time-sensitive situation he put both of his hands on Francis' face and pulled him forward until their lips met. 

Francis' heart felt like fireworks, his skin tingled and his eyes closed as frustration melted into adoration. His hands shot to Arthur's waist and pulled the other man's body to his own as he deepend the kiss, earning him a keen hum from Arthur. _This must be a dream,_ he realised faintly, because his ears were ringing and his heart was pounding and Arthur's scent was in the air, clean and perfect and stronger than he'd ever smelled it. He hoped he would never wake up as his body moved forward and pinned Arthur to the bookshelf gently, the other's hand coming to tangle in his hair. It might have lasted five seconds or five hours, he wasn't sure, but when they parted there was a sense of stillness that settled in his mind. _I'm in love,_ he thought, not as scared as he should have been by the realisation as he looked into those stunning green eyes. With no patches, Arthur's scent was more permeable, and Francis couldn't imagine a more perfect atmosphere. 

"I think we need to go to the store." Arthur said, breathless, shattering the illusion. When Francis didn't respond, he tilted his head to the side to indicate that Francis should look, and when he did he noticed the hand-print and understood Arthur's action immediately. 

"Oh." The disappointment was palpable in his voice. "Alright."

He pulled away from Arthur as if the other had burned him and opened the front door, the Omega following shortly after. They both entered the car silently, Arthur holding a hand to his lips and blushing terribly. "I'm sorry about that." He said, fingers still ghosting over his lips, knowing he would think of little else for next few years of his life. He had wanted to disract the Alpha, stop him from talking in a non-suspicious way, but he hadn't expected the reaction he'd gotten. The undeniable passion Francis exerted. He'd never felt so singularly important and wanted than in the few seconds he'd shared with Francis just now. To capture the attention of so beautiful a creature as Francis Bonnefoy was a marvel, but to hold that attention so fully in ones grasp was indescribable. His scent had reacted to Francis' almost immediately, with both of them having increased as Francis had pushed Arthur back. He hoped Francis hadn't noticed but he couldn't be sure. 

"You don't have to apologise. You were keeping our cover, just doing your job." Francis said, resolutely staring at his hands. He felt ill. 

Arthur noticed the apprehension on his partner's face and couldn't understand it. He himself was light-headed and a little giddy. "Doing my job has never felt so good." He laughed and Francis found the sound smothering his nerves. 

"You think so?" 

"I know so. Do you kiss all of your partners like that?" _All of my parters?_ Francis thought. _How many do you think I've had?_

Francis grinned, sick feeling forgotten. "I don't think I've ever kissed anyone like that." He admitted, then took the opportunity to finally say what had been troubling him now that he was out of the deep water. "I'm sorry about earlier. She told me she wouldn't tell Ivan."

"Don't worry about it." Arthur said, smiling. "She's devious and I shouldn't have pushed you to say anything, you've every right to keep things to yourself."

"You're right, but I want to explain." Arthur put a hand on Francis' again, and it served to nullify Francis' nerves. _This is how it's supposed to be,_ Francis thought, _this is everything I want and there's nothing I can do to keep it. What will I do when all of this is over?_ "My Sire was a jealous man." He said, noticing that Arthur's thumb was tracing circles on his hand in a comforting motion. "So jealous he would sometimes lock up our house before he went to work and take all of the keys so my Dam couldn't see anybody else but me, and that was when he wasn't feeling too bad. Sometimes we'd get locked in separate rooms because even I was considered a threat." He shook his head, still feeling the hatred now that he did back then for the man. "Anytime my Dam so much as talked to another Alpha and he heard about it he would go insane and hurt him, badly. He always blamed us for causing it and I was useless against it, his jealousy. I thought it was just a word he used to justify himself, or that it was only something terrible people felt." He stopped there because he knew that, deep down, he still thought that. Arthur seemed to understand that. He saw in Francis the terrified, traumatised child he'd once been. He recognised it well, because he'd been there himself, albeit for different reasons.

"You're not a terrible person, Francis. Everyone feels jealous, even the holiest of us." Arthur saw Francis relax a little as he spoke. "You're a good man, and I mean that. The best man I know."

"You're being too nice to me, it's suspicious."

Arthur huffed, taking his hand away so he could swat at Francis' arm. "Trust you to ruin the moment. I can't believe Ivan's had people in our house." He changed the subject deftly, pulling them out of the emotional atmosphere that had been created. "I guess that puts an end to sleeping separately."

"That _would_ appear rather suspicious for newlyweds." Francis agreed, flirtation gracing his tone. 

"How many do you think there are?" Arthur replied, inwardly happy at the prospect of falling asleep with Francis at his side again.

"I'm not sure but we have to be careful to not point them out."

"I know that." Arthur said, shaking his head. "Should we go back inside?"

"It would look like a very quick trip to the store if we did, but there's nothing we need. How about you take me to dinner?" Francis asked, fastening himself in.

"I suppose we could manage that." 

Arthur took them to the closest restaurant he could find, which turned out to be a little vintage American diner. They were seated in a vibrant red leather booth and ordered a burger each and a fries to share, along with two waters. It was a far cry from the fancy meals that were served in the restaurant Ivan had taken Arthur to, but the Omega found that the company more than made up for it. He'd rather be here than there any day.

"I spoke to Matthew today." Arthur said in a fond tone. 

"Oh. What did you talk about?" Francis asked. 

"He called to thank Ivan for his latest donation and-" Arthur made a face then and mumbled the rest of his words as if it was a real trial to even utter them. When Francis raised an eyebrow at the immaturity, Arthur simply sighed and said, "we talked about what he should wear tomorrow."

Francis barked out a laugh. " _You_ discussed fashion? That's like a fish discussing running." Arthur did his best not to pout but Francis softened at the look of wounded pride on the Omega's face. "I'm kidding, Mon Coeur."

"We can't all know the depths of colour-theory and fabrics, can we? Some of us have more important things to think about."

"Such as?"

"Literally anything."

Francis just tutted at him, a mirror of the action Arthur usually made towards him. "Sounds like something a taste-less old man would say."

Arthur shrugged. "I'm sure you've got enough fashion sense for the both of us."

"Was that a compliment?" Francis teased. "Is the world ending? Are you ill?"

"Oh, behave." Arthur admonished, though he was cleary amused. He hadn't been this comfortable with someone teasing him, well, ever. He usually always took it personally, but with Francis he knew it was light-hearted, like everything the man did. The fact that Francis thought his jealousy made him flawed in Arthur's eyes was insane, because the Englishman couldn't help but, ironically, be jealous of just how perfect Francis remained, emotional instability and all.

"What did you tell him?"

"Um, red. I said he should try a dark red."

Francis nodded. "He could pull that off, definitely. It's a bold choice." The Alpha tried to hide how funny he found the picture of Arthur floundering around in his head for recommendations of clothes when all that filled his mental wardrobe were likely beiges and different shades of black. He was attracted to the other man, yes, but he was undoubtedly a fashion disaster in every sense of the word. 

"Is it?"

"You adorable, clueless man. Of course it is. How many people do you see in red suits?" Arthur just gave Francis an unimpressed look as his answer. "Exactly! What are you going to wear?"

"Whatever I could make out of what I have." He admitted, unperturbed by the look on Francis' face, which seemed to be morphing into something akin to excitement. "What?"

"Does this mean you're going to give me a fashion show?"

"Absolutely not!"

Francis pouted. "As spouses, this is something we should do together! It can only help. I would do one for you too, but I only have variations of the same two outfits and one of them I wore here."

"I don't _want_ you to do one for me!" Arthur said, wondering when that had become part of this negotiation. "You can help me choose, but there will be no show."

Francis gave a long sigh to portray his suffering. "Alright, deal." 

The conversation between them was easy and flowed nicely. Both of their eyes drifted to the others' lips when they weren't looking, unable to scratch their impromptu kiss from their memories. When they'd eaten and Arthur had taken the bill, insisting that _he_ had been the one to take _Francis_ out, they drove home companioned by gentle conversation. Just as they pulled up, Arthur turned to Francis. "You know we're going to have to be much more couple-y now, right?"

"I understand that, yes." Francis smiled. 

"I'm just warning you that I'm a bit stiff when it comes to that kind of thing. I've never actually had a real relationship, so I'm not certain how I'm supposed to act."

"Just be yourself." Francis said, confused. "Arthur, you don't have to change when you're with somebody. If you do that's how you know it's not going to work out."

"Believe me you'll change your mind after a few weeks."

"We've been doing this for a week and I haven't changed it yet." Francis assured him, and the honesty in his voice came as a surprise to Arthur. He needed to start lowering his attachment to Francis because as things were it was going to crush him when this ended. 

Darkness greeted them when they walked in the house, and went straight upstairs. Once they were settled in bed, Arthur noticed that Francis was laying on the opposite side of the bed to him, as far away as he could be without falling out of the bed. Something in him had definitely changed, for better or worse, because he definitely felt the cold chasm between them more deeply than he though he ever would. So, with delicate movements he slid up behind Francis like the other often did to him. "Is this alright?" He asked, putting his hand over Francis' as he hugged the other from behind. 

There was a throaty chuckle from Francis as he pulled Arthur's arm closer. "I thought you'd never ask." 

Arthur found himself smiling as he put his head down and Francis' golden hair tickled his nose. Oddly, he found himself looking forward to spending the day tomorrow with Francis before they had to go to Ivan's event. The more time he spend around the Alpha, the more his memory of living alone became unfocused and fuzzy. The bed seemed warmer and so much more comfortable with Francis pressed against him, and every time he closed his eyes he was pressed against the bookshelf, romanticising the most amazing kiss he'd ever shared. Maybe taking their time with this case wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.


End file.
